Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals Preview

Summary

No Dunks Podcast — Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals Preview (June 1, 2026)

Podcast Hosts: Jay Skeets, Tas Melas ("Tasmo"), Trey Kirby (T.K.), JD
Episode Focus: In-depth NBA Finals preview – New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs

---

Episode Theme: Setting Up a Finals for the Ages

The No Dunks crew dives into a comprehensive breakdown of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks—two historic franchises meeting on the championship stage for the first time since their 1999 clash. The conversation centers on what’s at stake, key matchups, X-factors, legacy implications (for players like Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson), tactical breakdowns, and a slew of entertaining subplots.

---

What's at Stake: Big Picture for Both Teams

For the Knicks:

• First Finals appearance since 1999, seeking their first title since 1973.
• Rebuilt through trades & free agency — none of the main rotation are their own first-round picks; only Mitchell Robinson, drafted in the second round, is homegrown.
• Winning would vault Jalen Brunson into the company of the franchise’s elite.
• "Brunson would vault into the upper echelon of Knicks greats… At worst he’s the fourth best Knick going into this." — T.K. [08:17]

For the Spurs:

• Overachieved on the rebuild timeline, led by a young core built through the draft.
• Victor Wembanyama has a shot for instant all-time legacy—potentially joining Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, and Kareem as generational talents to deliver early titles.
• "This is kind of the first building block for Wemby's GOAT case." — T.K. [07:22]
• Winning would tie the Spurs with the Chicago Bulls for fourth most NBA titles all-time.

---

Key Discussion Points & Tactical Preview

How Can the Spurs Beat the Knicks?

• Defensive Strategy:
  • Primary goal: Muck up the Knicks’ paint attacks (NY leads playoffs in points in the paint) using Wemby's presence and smart matchups.
  • “If Wemby can stay around the paint, how do the Knicks overcome it? That’s a big, big question." — Tasmo [10:02]
  • Can Josh Hart force Wemby out to the perimeter as the “Caruso” analog of this series?
• Physicality:
  • Knicks will challenge Wemby with OG Anunoby and bigs like Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
  • Success hinges on “If [Wemby’s] the best player on the court four times out of seven.” — T.K. [11:09]
• Three-point Shooting:
  • Spurs’ ability to hit open threes if Knicks’ defense collapses on Wemby.

How Can the Knicks Beat the Spurs?

• Josh Hart 3-Point Shooting:
  • “Josh Hart has to make three-pointers… If he’s able to roam off Hart as far as he wants to, that takes away so much of the Knicks' new offense.” — T.K. [23:23]
• Clever Utilization of Towns:
  • Cat needs to exploit perimeter mismatches and avoid early foul trouble, capitalizing when smaller defenders switch onto him.
  • “He has to be aggressive at times…when the smaller guy’s on him.” — Jay Skeets [25:37]
• Brunson’s Craftiness:
  • Spurs have contained bigger guards (SGA), but “he is super crafty… Wait till you see Jalen Brunson go to work. He is sly, he’s slick.” — Jay Skeets [26:02]
• Maintaining Offensive Synergy:
  • Knicks boast the playoff’s best ball movement and shot-making—but they “haven’t faced Wemby.” Adjustment is crucial if the paint is shut down.

Defensive Matchups Puzzle

• Where does Brunson hide? Likely on Champagne.
• Will OG Anunoby focus on Wemby or a perimeter threat like Castle?
• “That’s the thing for the Knicks: OG is their best perimeter defender and their best big-man defender. He can only do one at a time.” — T.K. [18:51]
• Expect experimentation: “If it goes long enough, they’ll try everything.” — Tasmo [19:11]

---

Key Matchups to Watch

• Brunson vs. Spurs Perimeter D:
  • Spurs likely to blanket him with Castle, Vassell, and even Carter Bryant.
• Cat vs. Spurs Wings:
  • Can Towns bully smaller defenders without forcing bad shots?
• OG Anunoby’s Assignment:
  • Shadowing Wemby vs. perimeter stopper—dynamic to watch.

---

X-Factors

Spurs:

• Stefan Castle: Needs to protect the ball under NYC’s pressure (had 20 TOs in first two WCF games). [36:49]
• Dylan Harper/Landry Shamet: Bench contributions pivotal, especially Shamet’s shooting.
• Role Player Threes: Champagne and Vassell’s three-point shooting can bend the Knicks’ defense.

Knicks:

• Josh Hart’s 3s: Must punish Spurs for leaving him open to help inside. [14:32, 23:23]
• Mitchell Robinson: Offensive rebounding and rim protection hinge on his health (mysterious hand injury, potential “Hack-a-Mitch” tactic by Spurs).
• Mikal Bridges: Needs to be a two-way force, especially if dealing with Fox.
• Turnovers: Knicks force more turnovers than Spurs; crucial to win this battle.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Pretty much anyone we’ve ever talked to never has seen a Knicks championship.” — T.K. [07:58]
• “Every bucket [from Dylan Harper] felt so big… which is insane as a rookie.” — Jay Skeets [39:59]
• “OG is their best perimeter defender and best big man defender—he can only do one at a time.” — T.K. [18:51]
• “I want the clicks. I want a wedgie—Game 7 in the NBA Finals and our social media popping off.” — Jay Skeets on the infamous absence of wedgies this postseason [54:40]
• “Is it Wemby time to start right now or is it like a year down the line? …If the Knicks are going to do this and snap this 50 plus championship streak, it better happen this year.” — Jay Skeets [69:14]

---

Fun Subplots & Storylines

• 1999 Finals rematch, and first-ever NBA Finals rematch of the NBA Cup Final.
• Will the Knicks hang their NBA Cup banner before Game 3 to troll the Spurs? [41:42]
• Knicks trying to snap the Canadian Finals-winner streak (Spurs have Kelly Olynyk, Knicks do not).
• Trivia: Matt Bonner’s Finals attendance allegiances (?!) [47:11]
• Will we finally get a “wedgie” this postseason? Still 0 wedgies after a record-setting regular season. [54:04]
• Mike Breen’s first Knicks Finals on the call. [55:36]
• Will Mitchell Robinson shoot underhand free throws due to his finger injury? [58:17]
• Corgi and Danhausen curse updates: “Danhausen curse is done.” [69:36]
• “Rest vs. rust”: Knicks swept their last series while the Spurs went 7 against OKC.

---

Bets, Predictions, and Viewer Polls

Hosts’ Finals Predictions

• Tasmo: Spurs in 5 (“I do think home court advantage for the San Antonio Spurs does play a factor. Am I buying Spurs due to recency bias? Perhaps.”) [64:48]
• T.K.: Spurs in 6 (“Wemby raising the Larry O’Brien trophy and the Michael Jordan trophy in MSG… iconic moment.”) [65:47]
• Jay Skeets: Knicks in 7 (“I think it’s in their favor they come in as underdogs. I’ll go Knicks just to keep things a little different here.”) [66:09]

Fan Poll:
68% picking the Spurs to win. [67:50]

Finals MVP Sleeper Bet

• OG Anunoby +6000 for Finals MVP (“Could fit the [Andre] Iguodala narrative. Play a big part in slowing down Wemby.”) — Jay Skeets [64:27]

Wemby Specials

• 20+ rebounds in Game 1: +1500
• Five-by-five statline: +25,000

---

Legacy, Experience & “Other” Angles

• Wemby’s chance to join the “won it early” legends list.
• Jalen Brunson as a rare small guard to lead a team to a title.
• Unusual edge: Spurs now field more players with Finals experience (Barnes, Cornet) than the Knicks.
• Home court advantage debated—teams coming off a sweep are 5–3 in Finals matchups vs. teams who went seven games.
• Coaching carousel: Sean Sweeney to Orlando, Magic's continued focus on defense (as discussed at the end of the episode) [85:09].

---

Timestamps for Key Topics

• [02:29] — Show intro & Finals matchup/schedule overview
• [05:15] — Knicks legacy & turnaround
• [06:57] — Spurs’ rise, Wemby’s legacy at stake
• [10:03] — Spurs’ blueprint for stopping the Knicks
• [14:32] — Josh Hart’s three-point shooting as a swing factor
• [18:51] — Who does OG guard? Defensive pivots for NYK
• [23:23] — What the Knicks need to beat the Spurs
• [28:35] — Key matchups: Cat vs. Spurs wings, Brunson vs. Spurs guards
• [36:49] — X-factors: turnovers, offensive rebounding, role players
• [41:42] — Fun storylines & banner banter
• [54:04] — The elusive playoff wedgie saga
• [61:13] — Betting talk: Game 1 player props and Finals MVP odds
• [64:48] — Hosts' predictions & series outlook
• [76:59] — Western Conference Finals winners & losers segment
• [85:09] — Sean Sweeney’s hiring in Orlando

---

Final Thoughts

The No Dunks crew sets the stage for a Finals full of legacy-defining moments—whether it’s a “GOAT-in-the-making” Wemby or a drought-ending Knicks run led by Brunson. The matchups are tantalizing, the subplots are endless (from Canadian player streaks to bizarre injury mysteries), and predictions are bold.

Whatever unfolds, basketball fans are guaranteed a Finals loaded with high drama, big stars, and history in the making.

---

For even more nuance, player stats, or playful banter, check out the full episode or subscribe to No Dunks for daily NBA talk!

Transcript

[Jay Skeets]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human, no web design experience. No problem. Wix Harmony makes it easy to create a professional website. Just describe what you want and it builds the entire site with the business tools you need. Plus, an AI agent named Aria is there to help with ideas or tasks along the way. With over 20 years of innovation, WIX continues to lead in website technology. Try it for [e-mail] that's wix.com onplus nicotine pouches present comfort chronicles at 10 o' clock tee time.

[Tasmo]

How comfortable you show up in stretchy

[Jay Skeets]

shorts, breathable tee and maybe no socks. Let the dogs breathe.

[Tasmo]

While other sweat and pleated khakis.

[Jay Skeets]

You're in your comfort zone bombing drives.

[Tasmo]

And in your pocket.

[Jay Skeets]

On nicotine pouches.

[Tasmo]

The softest pouch on the planet. Buy a [e-mail] Products for tobacco consumers 21 years of age or older. Warning.

[Jay Skeets]

This product contains nicotine.

[Tasmo]

Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

[Jay Skeets]

What's up, y'? All? Summer's got a different tempo.

[T.K.]

Everything's a little looser, brighter. One plant turns into another.

[Jay Skeets]

You hear something, you stay a little longer. Next thing you know, you're somewhere you didn't plan to be. It's those in between moments. That's where the ideas hit. Conversations stretch out. Little memories sneak up on you. Sometimes it's just about what's in your hand.

[T.K.]

That color, that chill. The new Tropical Butterfly Refresher from Starbucks.

[Jay Skeets]

Guava and passion fruit flavors with mango pineapple flavored pearls. Yeah, that feels like summer before you even taste it.

[T.K.]

Funny how one small stop becomes the

[Jay Skeets]

best part of the day. Start your summer rhythm with Starbucks.

[T.K.]

Try the new Tropical Butterfly Refresher from Starbucks.

[Tasmo]

Do you want to find a stress free way to buy your next car?

[Jay Skeets]

Start at CarMax and shop your way.

[Tasmo]

If you want to browse with confidence,

[Jay Skeets]

get pre qualified online with no impact

[Tasmo]

on your credit score.

[Jay Skeets]

And shop cars within your budget.

[Tasmo]

From luxury cars to family rides, CarMax

[Jay Skeets]

has options for almost every price range,

[Tasmo]

including more than 25,000 cars priced under $25,000.

[Jay Skeets]

So, hey, want to get started?

[Tasmo]

Just head to CarMax.com for details and get pre qualified today. Wanna drive CarMax?

[Jay Skeets]

Good morning, sweet world, and welcome to the no Dunks podcast presented by FanDuel. It's Monday, June 1, 2026. This is our NBA Finals preview. I'm Jay Skeets here on the Classic Factory and alongside me, as always, Tasmo.

[Tasmo]

We are here, basketball lovers. This is for you.

[Jay Skeets]

Next to him, it's my Top shot hot boy Trey Kirby. And over yonder, making the magic happen, super producer JD oh, there he is in a no dunks throwback T shirt. JD look that good? That's like back in the Chicago days.

[T.K.]

That's right, yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Star weekend. Yeah, Very nice. Hello to Everybody here on YouTube. Hit the like button. Subscribe podcast listeners, five star ratings and reviews. I think we just jump right into this. Cause this could be a lengthy super preview here of the NBA finals because there's two teams left. On Saturday night, the spurs ended OKC's hopes of becoming the first team to win back to back titles in a long time. Instead, San Antonio returns to the Finals for the first time since raising their fifth banner in 2014. Matt Bonner Forever, baby. In their way are the red hot Knicks, who stormed through the Eastern Conference winning 11 consecutive games to reach the finals for the first time since 1999. So the finals tip on Wednesday, June 3, 8:30pm Eastern, ABC, the exclusive broadcaster, every game tipping at 8:30. There's a look at the schedule for everybody on YouTube. It's going to go Wednesday, Friday, Monday, and then Wednesday again for the first four games. And Azaza game seven would potentially go down on Friday, June 19th. I tell you that because I need you to book it off, everybody. Okay, Just keep your calendar open. I better check for a potential game seven on Friday night, June 19th. So let's break this bad boy down. We're going to tackle, you know, key matchups, potential X factors. Obviously give our predictions at the end, but let's start with the big picture. Let's zoom out, let's talk about what's at stake for both of these squads. We'll start with the Knicks, who have not won A championship since 1973. And that's pretty wild when you think about basketball and New York City and how practically synonymous they are with one another. But it's been a very long time. And following Patrick ewing's departure in 2000, the Knicks went almost a quarter century with a single playoff series win. We started this podcast in 2006. The Knicks have been bad or were bad for like 60, 70% of it. You know, a lot of times not even making the playoffs in a majority of our podcasting career.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, we started this show in Toronto. That number is very Raptors, like nearly a quarter century with one playoff series win. Very similar, very similar.

[Jay Skeets]

But now they're back here on the championship stage and they've done it with a roster built through free agency and trades, which differs greatly from the spurs who mainly have done it through the draft. In fact, none of the top players in the Knicks rotation were first round picks by the Knicks. Only Mitchell Robinson, drafted by NYC and he was a second round pick in 2018. So a lot of incredible moves here by the Knicks front office. What's at stake for the Spurs? They're ahead of schedule. That's what everybody says, right? They're ahead of schedule when it comes to this rebuild here and getting to sort of the top of the mountain. They've done it, like I said, through the draft. So I think with them we have to just talk about instant legacy at stake here for Wembanyama. Because this is like Wemby's first real test at goat in the making, if you want to call it that. Few young superstars have taken their teams to the title in their first three seasons and Wemby has a shot at doing just that. Fun list here from Ben Rohrbach at Yahoo Sports. Bill Russell led the Celtics to the first of his 11 championships in 13 seasons at the age of 22. A 20 year old Magic Johnson won the first of five titles for himself and the Lakers in his first season in 1980. And then a 22 year old Tim Duncan won his first of five titles in his second season in 1999. A few others that were like a year or two older to accomplish the title super early in their careers. Kareem, 23, Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Dwyane Wade, 24. You know, Kawhi Leonard actually was quite young when he won his first with the spurs and then later with the Raptors. So list is short, full of all time greats, multi time champions. And this is what Wemby has at stake here, TK to really cement himself potentially again as a goat in the making.

[T.K.]

Yep, him and LeBron are the only players 22 and under to be all NBA first team and then make the finals in the same season. Duncan was actually 23 when the playoffs started and he won his his first championship in 1999. LeBron made the Finals against the spurs, ironically got swept. They were way ahead of schedule and that was 25 of the last 27 points. Was that to get them to the finals? Legendary moment. That's similar to Wemby's pull up three in game one. You know, different games in the series. Nonetheless, I think that's the same. But yeah, this is kind of the first building block for his goat case. If he's able to pull this one off, it would also tie the spurs with the Bulls for Fourth most titles as a franchise in league history. And then for the Knicks, basically the first title for every Knicks fan that you've ever met in your life. There are some old people out there,

[Jay Skeets]

no doubt about it.

[T.K.]

I was talking to Graydon Gordian yesterday. He's a Spurs fan. His dad is a lifelong Knicks fan. So he saw it, he remembers what it's like. Mike Breen's call in the finals, he remembers what it's like. But pretty much anyone we've ever talked to never has seen a Knicks championship. I would also say that Brunson was would vault into the upper echelon of Knicks greats where he'd be able to pull this one off. He's already on Mount Nicks more. He took Melo's spot. Right now he's competing with Patrick Ewing. Patrick Ewing of course is the Knicks all time leader in games, minutes, points, rebounds and blocks. He made a finals and lost in 1994 and then he was hurt in the Eastern Conference finals before the 1999 finals against the spurs as well. But I think if Brunson and the Knicks are able to pull off this championship, I don't know how do you compare Brunson's super hot run with the knicks in his five seasons versus Patrick Ewing playing 15 seasons there? I don't know. At worst he's the fourth best nick going into this. He could finish as the third best Nick. I'm not going to put him ahead of Frazier and Reed right away for winning one championship. But it definitely helps his all time greatest Nick case if he's able to pull this one.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah. And then to piggyback off that something we talked about, I guess maybe was it on the live stream or a show last week? Maybe it was with the beach stepping episode. Brunson would become one of these rare small guards to lead a team to a championship and that's few and far between. This is the whole Becky Hammond thing, right? You can't do it with a guy that's whatever he is, six' three, six' two, he's probably not even that tall. He's small. But your Curry's and your Isaiah Thomases and like it's just not many. So we will see that's the stakes. But let's get into the actual X's and O's and what needs to happen for either of these teams to win. Tass, we'll start with you here. The spurs will beat the Knicks if blank. Where are you going here?

[Tasmo]

Well, how do they throw the Knicks offense Off, basically they're going to be led by Brunson, who needs to have a mantra series for them to win. But I would start with their three point shooting and trying to pull Wemby out. Of course, the first matchup in any series against Victor Wembanyama is the three point shooter that they're going to try and get him on. And Wemby's going to be guarding Josh Hart a lot because Josh Hart is going to be out at that three point line and Wemby can try and play off him. Last series it was Alex Caruso. Alex Caruso did hit about half of his threes to start that series. Extremely hot. And they played it up, they played it differently. So there's that matchup. While the Knicks lead the playoffs in points in the paint, they score about 26, 27 buckets in the paint. That's going to be different with the Wemby there. So that's a huge factor. Can they keep that up? Can Josh Hart give them enough space to be able to get in there? Because as we watched Shay Gil just Alexander against this spurs defense now, he ended up shooting about 40%, not good in terms of comparison to what Shay did in the regular season. Had to hit a lot of hero shots in game number seven to make it happen. So we start there. We started just getting Wemby out and if Wemby can, can stay around the paint, how do the Knicks overcome it? That's a big, big question. I mean the fast breaks and all that. But I start there. Just watching that whole matchup.

[Jay Skeets]

What do you go here with the spurs chances of beating the Knicks? What has to happen?

[T.K.]

Wemby finishes every game. Two of their six losses in the postseason. So far, they only have five losses. Two of their five losses, is that right? No, two of their six, whatever it is. One was the concussion against Portland where he smashed his face, and then the other one was against Minnesota when he elbowed Nas Reed in the throat. Those are two losses for the Spurs. They're very, very few. He's going to have to contend with the physicality of the Knicks because I think Towns is a physical player sometimes to his detriment. OG is a really strong guy. We're going to see him on Wemby quite a bit. And then Mitchell Robinson gave Wemby some problems during the NBA cup game. And we saw the way Hartenstein was playing Wemby from Games 2 through 7. The Knicks are going to see that and say, hey, if we can get away with physicality, we're going to do it and they're going to be able to rag on Wemby. But if he's the best player on the court four times out of seven, I think the spurs will win this series.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, the other loss that they had was when Wemby was on the floor in the fourth quarter against Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of that series where they played him out of the paint a decent amount because Rudy Gobert was not on the floor. It was Nas Reed at the five. They had to stretch him. That is the entire goal for the opposing team. The entire goal you saw to every shot, every up until the last minute of game seven of okc. Spurs pursue get into that paint. But oh, here comes Wemby. Like Shay had to do as he was having a monstrous game. He passed out. So that's how the Timberwolves were able to overcome him. And yes, the, the neck, the elbow neck. But also, yeah, just playing a guy who can spread him out. So that's why Josh Hart comes into this Pretty big factor.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah. I just want to know if the spurs can slow New York's offense down and whether or not New York's offense at the blistering pace it's on in these playoffs is because of subpar competition in the east or it's just like total domination here. And they've really unlocked something. Obviously at times going more to Cat in that Hawk series but then going back more to sort of the Brunson domination against the Cavs. Can they just slow down the Knicks to me will like get them to a title here because. Yeah, a 123.3 offensive rating for the Knicks on way to the NBA Finals here. Just lighting up the Eastern Conference Fun stat here from our guy Ben Gulliver who got a job at espn. We love to see it. He said. The Knicks also posted a blistering 123 offensive rating in their two regular season games against San Antonio and they torched the spurs there in the NBA cup championship. So they've had success, yeah, in these matchups in the regular season. But the spurs are an awesome defensive team. I think they did level up there in the Thunder series and as their playoffs have gone on and they just have Wemby back there roaming away with all these aggressive guards trying to lock up these guys on the perimeter. So yeah, I just want to know if they can slow down this pretty surreal synergy we're seeing from the Knicks offense because the ball movement, the shot making has just been amazing. There's no, there's no like hole or. Or like, like somebody you don't have to really worry about all that much. Yeah. Josh Hart. I get it. I guess the Caruso like we'll see if he can hit threes. But the way Bridges is played. Oh gee Cat. Of course Brunson guys off the bench even. There's not like multiple guys that we saw in OKC that you're like, okay, don't worry. We don't care if that guy has the ball. We're not too concerned about him.

[T.K.]

I think hearts that guy he can be. But he shot 18% from three against Indiana in the conference finals last year.

[Jay Skeets]

He shot 35% in the last round though. Got a bit better. Had the huge game in game two. Right. Against the Cavs. 30% overall from deep in the postseason on about 60 attempts. Yeah, that'll be the one guy if you're doing the whole Wemby is sort of guarding him because he's away from him. But just like to me, the way the Thunder had to start playing with no J.B. dub and A.J. mitchell was definitely more heliocentric, more SGA, obviously. Like he's going to dominate here and decide what they're going to do. The Knicks have not been playing that way all that much. They can. They can with Brunson and we will see that. I'm sure at times, especially if gets into the clutch. But everybody is involved. Yeah, it's a different offense that obviously is going to be a bit of a shock to the Spurs. Not that they can't figure it out. They're awesome.

[Tasmo]

As I said, the Knicks the most points in the paint this playoffs and a part of that is running through Cat and guys cutting off of him and guys moving and being able to get into the paint. So the spreading of the floor with Josh Hart allows them to get into the paint if they're able to do that. And that's where OG and Bridges really thrive. Yeah. But the what the Thunder ended up having to rely on was Shea banging out plenty of shots in the fourth quarter of game seven. Will they Knicks have to rely on that from Jalen Brunson against Stefan Castle?

[T.K.]

I imagine Nick's got to stop the spurs too. Like, I don't know who Brunson guards in this series. There's not a really great place for him to hide because you would think he would maybe be champagne on champagne.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

Wide open threes for Champagne. He shot like 20% through four games and they shot 50% through the last three games. They got to contend with Wemby, of course, inside. Like I said, I think OG Will guard him quite a bit. But that means Towns is then on Vassell or Champagne. Good luck chasing those guys around. Cat could stick out like a store thumb on the defensive end for the Knicks, I think, in this series.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, that's true.

[Jay Skeets]

Do you think OG Will be mainly on Wembanyama, or do you think they'll start with Cat on him? Because like TK Said, where else do you sort of put Cat? It becomes the problem to me, hey,

[Tasmo]

I do think that you're gonna see OG Fronting him and doing that whole scrappiness type of thing. And here comes Mitchell Robinson with nine and a half fingers. That is who. I think that's who they go with. And allow OG and then Mitchell. Okay, but if the big guys are

[T.K.]

guarding the Wings, that's just open threes for Vassell and for Champagne. And they both played great so far in the playoffs.

[Jay Skeets]

So talk this through. Let's say.

[Tasmo]

Let's say he can be on front, in front of guys.

[T.K.]

You know, anybody can shoot over Brunson.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, Champagne, he started that series slowly last round, and he got hot, obviously. I mean, listen, I think this is entirely different. The Knicks have an incredible three point defense through the first three rounds, but their opponents are shooting 32% unopened threes. As you said, if they're open threes. This. This isn't Jalen Johnson. Tyrese Maxey, who shot really, really poorly on open threes on threes. In General, he shot 16 on threes. Or Embiid or Evan Mobley or Max Drew, who had a bad series. Yeah, I'm. I'm buying into the spurs being able to hit three point shots. So you think Katie tries to play at Wemby?

[Jay Skeets]

I do.

[T.K.]

I think Kat's gonna have to guard Wemby.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, exactly.

[T.K.]

I don't want him anywhere else, really.

[Jay Skeets]

Also, we did see. I mean, the Thunder went away like Caruso was trying to guard Wemby. He has a monster game, obviously, in game one. And then it was like, all right, let's try Hartenstein. Let's go the big guy on him. He did a decent job. I mean, Wemb.

[Tasmo]

He definitely did.

[Jay Skeets]

Wemby had, of course, huge, incredible moments in that Western Conference finals, but did not light it up in every game. So, yeah, Cat as a big guy and try and be smart. I think you have to put Cat on Wemby for at least a majority of. Or at least give it a go. I like OG on one of these crazy guards too. Like OG can guard as well as you can, like a castle or something like that. So I would go Cat on Wemby, OG on Castle, Bridges, probably on Fox, and then hard on Vasel. And like you said, Brunson's got to play somebody. It's probably champagne because champagne, at least you're not like too concerned. He's going to like be creating and putting it on the floor. Like, yeah, he's going to get looks, but maybe that's the one thing they'll

[Tasmo]

have to live with.

[Jay Skeets]

But I can't wait to see og. Isn't OG one of the best defenders in the regular season or last couple years?

[T.K.]

On Wembanyama, he was the best post up defender against Wembley. That's the thing though for the Knicks is that OG is their best perimeter defender and their best big man defender. He can only do one at a time.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, yeah, they're going to rely on bridges a lot on the perimeter. But listen, Cat has changed the narrative of him being a weak defender. He is going to get that job. They're all going to get that job against Wemby. They're, they're big guys.

[T.K.]

If it goes long enough, they'll try everything.

[Tasmo]

Of course, of course.

[T.K.]

But, but I, but I do think Wemby is different than Jared Allen and Jalen Durham.

[Tasmo]

Of course, you know, I agree. And Wemby didn't have to be incredible against the Thunder. Even though, you know, Numbers wise, at 27 points per game, 40 from the floor, 40 from three are really, really good. Yeah, but he didn't have to go

[T.K.]

for 30, 90 basically.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, yeah. Percentages wise, you know, he shot five to six threes a game. It's a lot of threes in for, for a guy like Wemby.

[Jay Skeets]

I mean, you're okay with it if you shoot 40% from three.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

It's when yeah has a game where he can't hit one where you're like, everybody starts screaming, what are you doing? You're 75 getting the pain. It's, it's when he starts, you know, over three from distance and then you start pulling your hair out because you don't understand it. But yeah, 40%. I mean he's got to take, you know, take him in confident with confidence and he can knock him down for sure. And he takes a deep too because it's obviously.

[Tasmo]

Guy's a giant and he's obviously bought into everybody having to contribute. That's who Wemby is and what that

[Jay Skeets]

team is Vibe coding is everywhere right now, but it's not just for apps anymore. Now it's making its way into website creation. Wix has introduced Wix Harmony, a Vibe coder for websites that lets you type what you want and generate a site ready to use right away, complete with forms, payments, security and more built in. And Wix Harmony doesn't require AI for everything. You can still click and edit anything manually or select an element and have Aria, your AI agent, make updates for you. It's a smart solution to the frustration of repeatedly prompting AI just to make a small change. Try it for [e-mail] that's wix.com hey,

[T.K.]

it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway for you. Save days are here now through June 23rd. Find hot deals throughout the store and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible items from Keebler, General Mills, Lactaid, Jack Links, Cheezeit and Gatorade. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more. Enjoy savings on top of savings when you shop in store or online for easy pickup or delivery, restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions.

[Jay Skeets]

Hello? Hello, this is Malcolm Glebel from Smart Talks with IBM. Today we're diving into a fascinating conversation with with Stefano Pollard, head of fan development for Scuderia Ferrari hp.

[T.K.]

Your pronunciation is strongly American. It's more Scuderia Ferrari.

[Jay Skeets]

I'm still working on rolling my R's, but what I was able to learn from Stefano was the importance of engaging the Tifosi, the Ferrari superfans. In the digital age. Ferrari fans and super fans want to be part of something, want to belong to something. So they they want to be part of a community and ultimately they want

[T.K.]

to be part of a winning team.

[Jay Skeets]

You've got Ferrari, which is a long history, design history, and now you're interacting in a kind of digital space. I'm curious how you balance those two traditions when it comes to fan engagement, it's really digital technology. And digital channels, are they enabled to

[T.K.]

create a deeper connection with our fans?

[Jay Skeets]

To learn more about how Ferrari and IBM are using technology to build deeper connections with fans, visit IBM.com Ferrari introducing Taco Bell's new sweet and spicy Jalapeno citrus salsa made with bright citrus and real red jalapenos. You can get it with anything on the Cantina Chicken menu for a delicious tangy twist to make all your faves instantly better. And while jalapeno Citrus Salsa is only

[Tasmo]

available for a limited time.

[Jay Skeets]

Know this Jalapeno citrus salsa demands the spotlight. It's the sauce with main character energy.

[Tasmo]

Get jalapeno citrus salsa with anything on

[Jay Skeets]

the Cantina Chicken menu for a limited time only at Taco Bell at participating locations while supplies last. Okay, so we're flipping it on set here, though. This all sort of blends together. So the Knicks to beat the Spurs. What needs to happen to you, TK

[T.K.]

Josh Hart has to make three pointers. I think he has to be like Danny Green 2013 Finals when he almost stole Finals MVP, shooting 55% from three. Wemby loves to roam off Hart. If he's able to roam off Hart as far as he wants to. That takes away so much of the Knicks new offense, which was Carl Anthony Towns up in the high post or the elbow extended, hitting backdoor cutters. Everybody playing off of him, wheeling around him as a hub. If you've got Wemby just lurking there in the middle, you're not getting any back cuts. You're not getting any buckets at the rim. Like I said, Hart shot 18% against the Pacers last year in the Eastern Conference finals. He was getting open looks then, too. He's got to make these shots for them to have an efficient scoring offense, because that has been the key for the Knicks, is that all of them are shooters right now. All of them are cutters right now. If there's a closeout, everybody can put the ball on the floor and get to the hoop. But they have to be able to do that now against physical guards that can really move out there in Vassell and Castle. I think Fox is at least competitive and quick. And then, of course, Wemby is inside.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

I mean, you can tell me as much. The Knicks may have scored a ton of points in the paint, but they were not playing against Victor Wemban.

[Tasmo]

It's a little different. Yeah. Yeah. I want to see how Josh Hart's. Josh Hart just generally takes his threes even because he is sort of slow when he's not going well to start it up in quarter two, three or four. Does he start from that corner with open looks where Wemby is, you know, kind of close to him and start taking them, because that's when Wemby has to come out as much as possible. Does he go to Cat more? Because Cat against Champagne, you know, who's six, seven, or Vassell, who's six, six, you know, six, five, or Castle, who's six, six, you Know that is where the, the Knicks technically have a huge advantage. Can Cat light it up from either the three point line over these guys or can he be extremely physical against any of those guys and, and finishing inside? Because he saw that he was very capable of finishing on drives and we'll see if you know, the, the Wemby sneak over to help. That's a huge factor. Or just guard him one on one. Cat is.

[Jay Skeets]

Cat has to be really very important in this series for the Knicks to win this. He has to be smart. He has to camp, pick up the dumb fouls and obviously head to the bench. He's got to be aggressive at times when the smaller guy's on him in terms of attacking. But you can't be too aggressive and pick up chart. You know, all this very important because like Brunson, like, you know, a lot of people are saying, well, look what the spurs did to SGA and how difficult they made life for him. Why wouldn't they do the same with Jalen Brunson, especially with his size disadvantage compared to sga? I get it, but he is super crafty. You know, I think some spurs fans, if they thought SGA was pretty slick with it when it came to getting the whistle on a couple plays and embellishing and all that, wait till you see Jalen Brunson go to work. Like he is Sly is slick. So. But all that said, I think he's still going to get his. I mean he had success against him in the regular season. You know, he's just, he's very quick. He's a mid range assassin like SGA in that regard and he's actually more confident and better at a three ball than sga. So that's the one thing SGA like, he doesn't want to take a ton of them and you're going under screens or whatever. Brunson will let it rip. He had no problem and obviously he's a great three point shooter, so I'm fine with him. To me, I like the Josh Hart factor here and I do like this, like, what type of Cat are we getting? Because he's been amazing. But you hold your breath sometimes with Cat in those first couple minutes when it goes a little like haywire and you're like, oh, that was dumb, dude.

[T.K.]

So yeah, to me, Cat and Castle for the spurs are the two guys who are like, when it's going bad, it can look really bad.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

But of course they're hugely important to each of their team's success. So this is by far the biggest series that Kat has played. We've seen him have great series against other big men. Like he played Jokic really well for the Timberwolves a couple of years back. He has had good moments for sure. He's a great shooter. His three point shooting, he's tall enough that like Wemby's gonna affect his shot on threes, but at least he's tall enough and has a high enough, quick enough release and he shoots it from deep too, that he's gonna be able to get him off as well. So, I mean, three pointers always a factor. The Knicks are first in three point percentage during the playoffs. San Antonio is third. That to me is going to be like a game to game thing. Who shoots better? Yeah, probably. Probably. Who has the better 3 point percentage in every one of these games is going to win would be my ultimate thing. And it's just a matter of generating them and getting them open.

[Jay Skeets]

Yep.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. It's funny with Cat because he hasn't had great scoring series at all. He hasn't needed to because they've been, you know, rotating with him as the pillar up top. He's averaged 15.8 the last series, 15.2 the series before that. Does it factor in with Wemby if he's able to just be Wemby and just hang out in the perimeter or. Sorry, by the paint. Does Cat take it upon himself to try and score more? Which doesn't bode well.

[Jay Skeets]

Right.

[Tasmo]

You know, it's like, oh, I gotta light it up here because nobody wants to go near Wemby and. And then this, the, the, the scheme and the plans just doesn't. It doesn't feel optimal. It's not, it's not the way they've gotten here.

[Jay Skeets]

No. What's a key matchup to watch here? I'll start with you on this one, tk what do you got your eye on?

[T.K.]

I think it's whoever the spurs decide is going to be guarding Jalen Brunson. I think Castle will get a huge chunk of the opportunity. I think Vassell will see him as well because some lengthy guys have had some success against Jalen Brunson. Carter Bryant will get a couple of minutes here and there, but I can also see a world where it's like Vasel on Brunson, Castle guarding Karl Anthony Towns. I think he's strong enough like to bump and bang with Cat, which lets Wemby roam off of Heart, which turns off their cutting game. They did just hold SGA to 40% field goal shooting for an entire playoff series, they had him 40% or under four times. Like you're saying Skeets SGA has height on Brunson. Brunson does have like a naturally higher arcing shot, I think, than SGA does, which is maybe good for him. But there were a lot of times when SGA was looking confused against a really, really good spurs defense. So I think that's going to be him trying to figure things out as the series goes on.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, I can't wait to see if the freshness for Jalen Brunson considering, you know, they've had short series, just helps him out. And having to carry a team in the fourth quarter like he did against the Cavs when they were down 22 in game number one. Just that whole factor against those guys that you mentioned. And in general, I'm just kind of excited as far as matchups go about everybody who has to guard Cat. Because I think now that we're done with this whole flopping talk, we'll just hear the talk about Cat's taller than all these guys that are generally guarding him and whether or not he can go off. So I'm just intrigued by that. We've mentioned all the guys in Champagne Fasal. You know, maybe Castle sneaks over, but Keldon Johnson's really interesting. Big body, Kelden, and he's way shorter. You know, he's like half a foot shorter. We saw him in person in Austin. Definitely shorter.

[Jay Skeets]

Trace height.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. But a big body who's going to be extremely physical and be able to stay on the bounce with Cat when he tries to take somebody from the three point line. So I'm gonna enjoy that narrative. I hope that narrative takes over in the finals. It won't like, that's, that's, that's not good enough. It's not a. It's Cat's height versus other guys is not a good enough. No, it'll be, it'll be Wy talk. But I'm just. It's just feels so good to be done with flopping talk.

[T.K.]

You think we're going to be done with flopping talk?

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, I mean, I think you're getting

[T.K.]

ahead of yourself as well.

[Tasmo]

A little bit. Yeah. He throws it in. Yeah. I mean, a lot of it's defensive too. The charges type on defense as well. I mean, Brunson had a lot that's allowed. That doesn't join the. That's true. Enter the narrative. That's a good flopping.

[T.K.]

Now that used to be like, oh, this guy can't he falls down every time. That was the Manu Ginobili complaint. Then Harden changed the game. He started flopping on offense and you know, guys have ran with it since then.

[Tasmo]

Yes.

[Jay Skeets]

To give you a Brunson stats versus the spurs in, in three games. You know, we're including the NBA Cup. It does exist. Basketball reference. 26, 4 and 8 for Brunson in these three games. So he got his numbers. 42, 42 and 88 shooting splits. I keep going to that 42 from deep. Again. This is something he'll take a lot more than sga. I think it could be there. You know he's. He can. He's a streaky ass guy. When he's on. He's lights out. Didn't he have a 61 point game against the Spurs a couple years ago or something like that? How many in a loss? I mean, I mean not long ago, obviously two. Was it two years ago? This is the game. Wasn't there a game where Wemby took the ball and chucked it in the crowd?

[Tasmo]

Oh yeah, he definitely did that.

[Jay Skeets]

That was the game. Brunson.

[T.K.]

That's a great point.

[Jay Skeets]

Ton of points. So I think he's going to get his. I can't wait for clutch games here. You're right. Like we saw in game seven in the last series. Thunder Spurs. I don't think the Knicks are like going to continue to win by double digits here if they do win some games here. So these will be close games. I can't wait for captain clutch there Brunson. But to answer the key matchup to watch, we already talked about it so we'll move quickly. But just like who does OG guard? I'm fascinated to see like is his primary assignment Wemby or is his primary assignment someone like Castle? Because there is only one og. There's other good defenders, especially Bridges on a perimeter guy with his length and his speed. But oh gee, is the one where you're like shut that off or at least contain that. And he's like, okay, I gotcha. Elite on defense and he's been giving them obviously like 20 points per game offensively too. And that's the other part. Like OG and Mikhail Bridges, all these points in the paint, a lot of them have been those guys, right? Yeah. Either backdoor cuts, sometimes in transition, all that stuff. They're attacking those two. But they've attacked these teams in the Sixers and the Cavs that do not have Wem and Yama and it's like it just takes like one or two Shots where an OG tries to body like Wemby or something, and he just gets it completely erased because they'll have the reach on this guy. And I'm like, that just gets in your head. I think as an offensive player, of course, we start going, well, that worked for the last three rounds that I. I might have to change that up. I might have to pull up now in a floater, kiss it off the glass, and try and beat him early. So we'll see how they adapt. Or maybe we'll just try and barrel through this guy. I mean, that is the. You know, Jared McCain had a few. Few plays where it worked.

[T.K.]

Got some burly guys.

[Jay Skeets]

They do. They do. And. And, you know, that's, of course, what they tell you. Right? Don't be afraid of it. Actually create the contact first, and he's light, so they're gonna. He's gonna bump off you. Problem is, he bumps off you and he can still block you while he's sitting on the bench with his reach.

[T.K.]

This looks like a sick game, though, this Brunson.

[Jay Skeets]

So it was, right?

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

Yeah, it was Wemby's rookie year. Spurs win 130 to 126. Brunson 61 points on 25 of 47 shooting. Wemby had 40 and 20 with seven assists.

[Jay Skeets]

Okay. Holy crap.

[T.K.]

This one. This one.

[Jay Skeets]

47 shots for Brunson.

[T.K.]

That's a lot of shots.

[Jay Skeets]

That is insane.

[T.K.]

I mean, the teams are way different.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

The second leading scorer in this game was Dante DiVincenzo for the Knicks. Isaiah Hartenstein was on the Knicks. The teams are way different. And Mitchell Robinson still hanging around. But there's some names that are not in the NBA anymore. Hilarious rosters. But I'm kind of interested in going back and finding this one on Le Pass in the next couple of nights here.

[Jay Skeets]

I just remember Wemby chucking the ball down.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, that clip has been going around the last couple days. And the. The score bug, the score on the bottom corner makes it look like it was in 2000. I mean, it's. It's like the MSG logo. I think the MSG score bug, it looks ancient. So it's like, hold on, is Jalen Brunson on the Mavs?

[Jay Skeets]

Wembley wasn't even the league.

[Tasmo]

It feels like a long time ago.

[Jay Skeets]

All right, X factors. We talked a lot about a lot of the starters here, so maybe we sort of avoid that. Who's your big X factor in this series? Either squad.

[Tasmo]

I kind of think you mentioned getting into the paint and just Being aware of WY or being confident enough to score on Wemby. I think just in general, the Bridges, the Anobis, gotta feel super comfortable, confident going into there. And the offensive rebounds, which everybody's talking about. Oh, the Knicks grab offensive rebounds. They did it against the Cavs, who have two seven footers. That's totally true, but I don't think it's a real story here against Wemby in general. That was sort of the talk about the Thunder too. I mean, the Thunder against the spurs were supposed to be able to grab their misses and they did. But the spurs grab more. They grabbed a third of their misses. That's a lot, you know, plus 15 versus OKC over seven games. So I just wonder if the Knicks lose that confidence, lose that, hey, there's wy. Let's dribble out instead of continuously going into him. Whether they miss or not, just getting into that chest of Wemb and throwing it up and grabbing boards and just that whole confidence idea, getting in there as much as possible. Because yeah, their offense is, is predicated on being everywhere, moving the ball everywhere. And if, if Wemby's pushing everybody out towards the mid range or three point line, then this thing's over. So the confidence that the Knicks were able to gain after going down with the 21 Hawks or down 21 to the Hawks is a totally different, totally different Knicks team. So we'll see them against Wemby in the paint. That's the most the thing I'm watching. Really?

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

You know my three X factors, three point shooting, turnovers and offensive rebounds. Both teams good at shooting threes, so that's game to game. Who has the hotter shooting night. That's good. Both teams are good at rebounding on both sides of the ball, defensive and offensive.

[Jay Skeets]

They gang, rebound. I feel like both.

[T.K.]

Exactly right. Like, oh gee, is a great rebounder for a forward.

[Jay Skeets]

Heart's amazing.

[T.K.]

Totally. So that to me is like, who asserts their will more often? Game to game. The thing that's the biggest question mark is, is turnovers. The Knicks are better at forcing turnovers and they turn the ball over less. So I'm like, eyes on Stefan Castle. That guy gets pretty loose with it. He had the 20 turnovers in games one and two against Oklahoma City. So 100% watching that guy to see if he can maintain some level of sanity when he's handling the ball. I think TAS is right. Mikhail Bridges seems like a hugely important player in this series. He was great against Maxi, he was great against James Harden. His next assignment, I think will be Dear and Fox because he's got the quickness and the length versus Fox. And I think Fox will probably guard Bridges when New York is on offense, which seems like the most. Like the best matchup for the Knicks to attack would be going against Fox versus, like I'd rather try and score against Fox than Castle or Vassell, you know, that kind of thing. So.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, or champagne.

[T.K.]

Yeah, sure. You throw shame it in the mix as well. Kind of like him and bridges are 48 minutes of the same player for the most part. So I think that spot's going to be really big for New York.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, a couple players as X factors, I think Dylan Harper, as we saw in the spurs series when he got a little healthier from the. What, the adductor strain, I guess they were calling it. I mean, he was instrumental. Like, he just like felt like he had like he didn't fill up the box score, but every bucket felt so big. I mean, which is insane as a rookie. So he's going to need to contribute here for the spurs. Off the bench, he's like sort of their main guy. And at times when he's been healthier or healthier, he's looked awesome. So he's huge. Landry Shamit. I mean, the guy didn't miss in the last round. He's going to play. He's not a, like, he's not a cone on defense by any means. He competes. And if the whole idea is like, you just got to sort of outshoot the spurs because of Wemby lurking back there, well, guess what? He's a guy that can shoot or has been able to. I can't imagine he's going to go the entire NBA Finals only missing one three pointer like he did in the Eastern Conference finals. He's got to cool down a little bit, but you know, he's going to like, he's coming in with confidence and feels like on top of the world right now. So he's a huge guy off the bench for the Knicks and Mitchell Robinson is like, what are we going to even get from this guy? Why are they keeping it a secret how he even hurt his hand?

[T.K.]

It must be embarrassing.

[Jay Skeets]

It's got to be something stupid. I think I'm right. I think he got his hand stuck in his car doors. Big giant truck.

[T.K.]

It could easily be that.

[Jay Skeets]

I know, but anyway, he like, look, we're joking and he should be able to play and he's going to play in it with the brace, whatever. But in the NBA Cup Final, The Knicks dominated inside against the spurs, and he was an instrumental part. Mitchell Robinson was 15 boards 10 on the offensive glass in that game in, like, what do you play, like, under 20 minutes in that game? It's insane. The amount of offensive rebounds he was grabbing. Now, you know, well, again, we'll see what sort of impact he can have. I can't wait to see a potential Mitch hacking Mitch strategy implemented. Why wouldn't the spurs do it if he's out there?

[Tasmo]

I mean, I didn't think about that terminology. That's great stuff.

[Jay Skeets]

Yep. Mitch Hack and Mitch with Mitch Johnson hacking Mitch Robinson are implementing it. But then, you know, the. The Knicks have figured out a weird way to, like, sort of counter it now. Like, get him out there, get us into the bonus, and then pull him out. So it's. He's going to play a part. Because Mitch Robinson, in theory, with his height and size and all that and defensive acumen and his work on the glass, he's like, could be very important to trying to slow a. Slow a wemby and keep him off the glass. So he's an X factor. I don't even know what type of Mitch Robinson we get here. I can't believe the guy got injured right before the fight. I mean, I can, because I said it all season long. I said, stop talking about him. Don't look at him. Just hold your breath when it comes to him.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

And then he doesn't even get injured on the floor.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Which we think at least.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. There was some chatter that, I mean, he does shake his hand at some point in game four. Right. But, but, but, but, I mean, he didn't have to leave the floor. So it's highly unlikely that it happened on the floor. Don't ask them about it. They don't want to talk about it. Mike Brown just, you know, tried to brush it off. We're not talking about it. Yeah. It had to happen off the floor.

[T.K.]

You think he was, like, karate chopping boards? Oh, three, no problem. Four, no problem. Five.

[Tasmo]

That's too many.

[Jay Skeets]

Possibly.

[Tasmo]

It's possible, yeah. Two, Too much time off. Too many things to do after sweeping them.

[Jay Skeets]

Other storylines here, you can get silly if you want. You can stay serious. I got a whole bunch. Let me chuck a couple at you guys. Other storylines. Okay. NBA Finals will be, for the first time in its history, featuring a rematch of the NBA Cup Final. And I saw Worldwide. Worldwide Wob suggested that the Knicks hang the NBA cup banner before game three. And how funny that would be to Try and rattle the Spurs. They refused to hang it during the regular season, but maybe they were saving it all along. We can do this at game three, Madison Square Garden.

[T.K.]

Interesting.

[Jay Skeets]

And we raised the NBA cup banner.

[T.K.]

I mean, Shay got the MVP in front of Wemby, and he went for 41 and 24. Maybe they shouldn't do.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, okay.

[Tasmo]

Absolutely.

[Jay Skeets]

Okay.

[Tasmo]

His best game.

[Jay Skeets]

This is fun. The NBA Finals will feature the Larry o' Brien trophy logo at center court for the first time since 2009. And it's not digital, guys. It's painted on there. Okay. It's there. We got mockups from the NBA themselves yesterday. They dropped this on Sunday. So there's the lob under the spurs logo. And you'll eventually see it in Madison Square Garden, too. Come on. This is great. Bullying works sometimes.

[T.K.]

Yeah. Remember last year they put that little tiny digital one where hilarious. Like, on the side of the thing. I've said a lot of times I'm in the minority on this. I don't like it, actually. I think it looks dated and cheap, but people will be excited.

[Jay Skeets]

I'm excited.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. I do want to see it on the actual paint, on the actual floor with a camera rather than this. Because this feels a little small to me. Look, the spurs logo, where it's going to be in game one feels a little off. When they had it in the finals, it said spurs. Rather than having this horseshoe. It feels different. Sizing. I don't. Doesn't. It doesn't feel right. Yeah, it just doesn't feel right.

[T.K.]

Does look little.

[Tasmo]

It does look little. But even the trophy was way bigger than that size trophy that we're seeing here. It was big.

[T.K.]

Good question from Sam Clark here in the Stream team. No Fiesta courts allowed in the finals. Like, are they not going to do their city?

[Jay Skeets]

I have.

[T.K.]

Either of them.

[Jay Skeets]

I have heard that they are not either team are. They're not wearing any, like, alternate knit jerseys.

[T.K.]

Good.

[Jay Skeets]

So it's. We're getting a lot of white jerseys, which is actually nice. And of course, some black and blues, depending on the traditional. This is what I saw.

[Tasmo]

Okay.

[Jay Skeets]

So. I don't think so. I don't think so.

[Tasmo]

Oh, yeah. Got to go with the, the traditionals, huh?

[T.K.]

Too much paint.

[Jay Skeets]

They're like, we can't.

[T.K.]

We have that much gold paint.

[Jay Skeets]

I'm excited. I think this is. I, I, I love how it looks years later. I mean, you're right. It's. Maybe it's dated, but I think in a good way. And it obviously adds something. It feels like to the big stakes of the game. So I'm excited to have Larry back in our life there.

[Tasmo]

And it's a different. A different Larry.

[Jay Skeets]

It is. It's an updated Larry.

[T.K.]

Slightly updated.

[Tasmo]

The base is smaller now. Looks a little different now. Yeah. I need to see it. I need to see it.

[Jay Skeets]

This is a fun storyline to watch if you're Bassey Muse. He's got a perfect bracket going right now. And he has the Spurs, I believe, winning the NBA championship. And if that happens, he literally nailed it. And this is real. This is the. You know, he did share this before the postseason started. Official playoff bracket. I know. Ball. Pretty amazing. Pretty amazing that he's gotten every single series correct and has the spurs versus the Knicks. And again, like I said, if the spurs win, he went perfect. I don't know. Does he win a million dollars for this? I don't know.

[T.K.]

Is there a challenge?

[Jay Skeets]

I have no idea. I hope he gets something from the NBA. At least throw him some league passes.

[T.K.]

Get a perfect bracket, and you could win a million dollars.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, my God.

[T.K.]

Yep.

[Jay Skeets]

Okay, well, we'll be. We'll be watching that.

[Tasmo]

Hold on. Does he. Did he have the games right? Is that part of the.

[Jay Skeets]

No, it's just picking the team.

[Tasmo]

I wonder if the odds are being perfect. Perfect. You have to have the.

[Jay Skeets]

No, I think it would include the.

[T.K.]

It looks like just picks.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

I don't know.

[Tasmo]

Okay.

[Jay Skeets]

It just picks Jeremy Sohan, NBA champion. Regardless of what happens, whether the Knicks win or the spurs win, this guy's winning a title. Maybe. Maybe. There is no hard and fast rule.

[Tasmo]

No.

[Jay Skeets]

On which players get rings versus which don't. So the spurs could, in theory, withhold one from him.

[Tasmo]

Like the 2019 Raptors.

[Jay Skeets]

That's right.

[Tasmo]

Jonas Valens.

[Jay Skeets]

That's right.

[Tasmo]

Traded for old. Big old Mark. We needed Marcus all.

[Jay Skeets]

To me, my gut says the spurs feel like type of organization that do give a ring to anyone that contributed to a championship season in any small way. That's just me. I have no idea, but I hear you. He's looking good. I would say the odds are pretty good that he's gonna win it.

[T.K.]

I could see the spurs doing it.

[Jay Skeets]

Hey, he might play a part in this. He's saying, I got all the. All the tips. I know all the dirty secrets. He's telling the Knicks. Here's how we slow down Wembanyama. Here's what we do. That's what he was saying. I saw. He's obviously got some insight, I guess, that most wouldn't being around them For a little bit. So we'll see if he plays a part. Start a Mike Brown, Jeremy Sohan, starting. We are going to have a champion of Filipino American representation too here in the finals. Dylan Harper or Jordan Clarkson. Either the spurs or the Knicks, Both of them Filipino American. That's great to see. Kelly Olenek and the spurs are going to try to extend the Canadian champions streak. The last time a team won the title without a Canadian on the roster was the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks. The warriors in 22 had Andrew Wiggins. The Nuggets in 23 had Jamal Murray. The Celtics in 24 had O' Shea Brissette. The Brissette and the Thunder of course had SGA and Lou Dort in 2025.

[Tasmo]

O' Shea Brissette still playing well abroad.

[Jay Skeets]

So this is the real thing the Knicks have to overcome here. They don't have a Canadian on the roster, but the spurs wisely have Kelly Olenek in his low socks.

[T.K.]

That's where they got him, huh?

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

And the last time the spurs won an NBA championship, they had Corey Joseph, 2014.

[T.K.]

And Bonner.

[Jay Skeets]

He's like, oh, you literally got me for a second. I'm like, bonner's not Canadian.

[Tasmo]

Canadian citizen.

[T.K.]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[Tasmo]

He applied for a citizenship, right? Yeah, he did. I am wondering because we had, we talked about coming into the series. The Knicks are so good at celebrating their previous players, their alumni. Spurs have theirs. Which arena. Do you think it's more likely that Matt Bonner would be in to see an NBA finals game? I think it's New York over the team that he played for. He's closer to New York. Where would he be watching a game? You just be there. I think, I think he's more likely to be in New York, which sounds crazy, but Matt, you let us know.

[Jay Skeets]

You think Matt Bunner. Matt Bunner has MSG money.

[Tasmo]

I mean, he can, he can go up to the top. I, I think he would have no problem sitting in the top. Like Yoran mom, Dany Oper. He would do it.

[Jay Skeets]

I think it's more likely the SP would have them actually. But yeah, I like it. Two time champ.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, but they don't, they're. They don't fly guys in. I don't think.

[T.K.]

I mean, I just don't have to live nearby.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, I think so. I think Joli Duncan Robinson. Not Duncan Robinson. Duncan and Robinson. Sean Elliot.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[Tasmo]

Who am I missing? They all live nearby.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, I guess so.

[T.K.]

It's true.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[Tasmo]

I'm guessing.

[Jay Skeets]

You don't think Matt Bonner kept his residence in San Antonio?

[Tasmo]

I don't know. That's a good question.

[Jay Skeets]

All right, a few other fun storylines. Seeing as this is 1999 rematch here, I believe there is only one way to watch these finals and no dunks coverage during these finals, and that is on a classic VCR TV combo. Could be an Orion, could be a Panasonic, a Magnavox, whatever. But this is from E.J. fernandez, who was watching no dunks recently on the VCR TV combo.

[T.K.]

That looks awesome.

[Jay Skeets]

I hope he recorded it.

[T.K.]

That's cool, man.

[Jay Skeets]

That looks awesome. I didn't know that either. Yeah. How did you do that?

[Tasmo]

Good stuff.

[Jay Skeets]

Thank you, E.J. fernandez, for that. I hope you send in a photo of you watching game one of the NBA Finals on that.

[Tasmo]

What is the brand name of that one? I know, Orange, the tv. But the thing on the bottom, it looks like. What is that? It says, like.

[T.K.]

I can't tell. It almost looks like it says Vader. But.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, that's what's holding.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, he's. He just sat it on it, hasn't he?

[T.K.]

Maybe. Maybe that's like VHS invader's best matches.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, maybe.

[Tasmo]

So the Orion takes the VHS tape. Where's. Where's. Where do you.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, that's a good point.

[T.K.]

That could just be a straight up tv.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, I always thought that was a VCR combo, but there's no.

[T.K.]

Let us know.

[Tasmo]

There's no hole. There's no.

[Jay Skeets]

You know what? I think that's just me thinking it was. Yeah, Yeah.

[T.K.]

I think it's because it's got that. The Vader thing at the bottom looks like it's part of it, but maybe it's not. Who knows?

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

Great setup.

[Tasmo]

Very great setup there. Great setup.

[Jay Skeets]

Vibe coding is everywhere right now, but it's not just for apps anymore. Now it's making its way into website creation. WIX has introduced WIX Harmony, a vibe coder for websites that lets you type what you want and generate a site ready to use right away, complete with forms, payments, security and more built in. And WIX Harmony doesn't require AI for everything. You can still click and edit anything manually or select an element and have Aria, your AI agent, make updates for you. It's a smart solution to the frustration of repeatedly prompting AI just to make a small change. Try it for [e-mail] that's wix.com.

[T.K.]

hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway for you. Save days are here now through June 23rd. Find hot deals throughout the store and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible items from Keebler, General Mills, Lactaid, Jack Links, Cheez it, and Gatorade. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more. Enjoy savings on top of savings when you shop in store or online for easy pickup or delivery, restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions.

[Jay Skeets]

Hello? Hello, this is Malcolm Glebel from Smart talks with IBM. Today. We're diving into a fascinating conversation with with Stefano Pallard, head of fan development for Scuderia Ferrari hp.

[T.K.]

Your pronunciation is strongly American. It's more Scuderia Ferrari.

[Jay Skeets]

I'm still working on rolling my R's, but what I was able to learn from Stefano was the importance of engaging the Tifosi, the Ferrari superfans in the digital age. Ferrari fans and super fans want to be part of something, want to belong to something. So they want to be part of a community and ultimately they want to

[T.K.]

be part of a winning team.

[Jay Skeets]

You've got Ferrari, which has a long history, design history, and now you're interacting in a kind of digital space. I'm curious how you balance those two traditions. When it comes to fan engagement, it's really digital technology. And digital channels, are they enabled to

[T.K.]

create a deeper connection with our fans?

[Jay Skeets]

To learn more about how Ferrari and IBM are using technology to build deeper connections with fans, visit IBM.com ferrari

[Tasmo]

when Kohler, the global design leader in luxurious kitchen and bath products, came to me and said, martha, we need an ambassador for our timeless, elegant, durable cast iron products. I said, I'm in now.

[Jay Skeets]

Let me see the factory.

[Tasmo]

Weeks later, I was suited up in coveralls and work boots, walking through their Kohler, Wisconsin cast iron foundry. I stood next to the molten iron furnace, saw the hand applying enamel, and touched the gorgeous finished products waiting to be sent out into the world. Since 1883, Kohler cast iron products have been forged and finished by the incredible craftspeople right in Kohler, Wisconsin. I'll tell you, I gained a newfound respect and appreciation for Kohler's cast iron craftsmanship. So now I'm lending my discerning staff of approval to my most beloved Kohler cast iron products for their durability, beauty and timelessness. Shop my Kohler Cast Iron favorites curated on Kohler.com bring the warmth, character and enduring style of these timeless products into

[Jay Skeets]

your kitchens and bathrooms.

[Tasmo]

As the Kohler Cast Iron Ambassador, I say, long live cast iron.

[Jay Skeets]

And then my final storyline I don't Know if you guys have any other ones, but, like, are we going to get our first wedgie of the postseason? I.

[T.K.]

Forget about it.

[Jay Skeets]

I know. It's like, it's incredible. At this point, 73 wedgies in the regular season set the all time record and we don't have one single wedgie, including the play in games. Not a single wedgie all postseason long. I think we're getting one in the NBA Finals, though.

[T.K.]

We only even have maybe like two plays where we're like, oh, that almost stuck.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, Pretty rare. It was. Yeah, maybe. Maybe. Yeah. Yeah. It's few and far between. You're right.

[T.K.]

I hope we don't.

[Jay Skeets]

You want to.

[T.K.]

I Hope we get 73 regular seasons, smash the all time record, and then none.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Crazy.

[Tasmo]

It's a good storyline that way, you know, you got a little bit more of a story.

[Jay Skeets]

Come on, man. I want the clicks. I want a wedgie. Game 7 in the NBA Finals and our social media popping off.

[T.K.]

All right, New York Post. We need a back page that says where's wedgie? And it's us dressed up like Where's Waldo? Looking for wedgies.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, okay, I'll do that for sure.

[T.K.]

The New York Post. Come on.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. I like the idea of 73 and none in the playoffs and we still smash the record. We as in I'm getting the wedgies. But the record was still smashed by a lot with none in the playoffs.

[Jay Skeets]

But you know what's better than 73 wedgies? 74 wedgies.

[Tasmo]

Adrian Wilson kind of gave us one.

[Jay Skeets]

That was a crazy wedgie.

[T.K.]

Really weird.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, really weird.

[Jay Skeets]

Any other storylines?

[T.K.]

Yeah, I got a bunch. Fox versus Mike Brown. I've seen this one going around a

[Jay Skeets]

lot for the Kings fan.

[T.K.]

You think the Kings are regretting Mike Brown these days?

[Jay Skeets]

Maybe.

[T.K.]

I think maybe Fox is a little more important there. Mike brain calling his first Knicks finals. That's cool.

[Jay Skeets]

Wow.

[T.K.]

Very, very cool for him. The Danhausen curse still active.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, geez. Yeah. Well, especially Danhausen versus the nuns and the power of the almighty Lord.

[T.K.]

Wow.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah. Good luck.

[T.K.]

Interesting, Interesting. Who's the corgi picking?

[Jay Skeets]

Hasn't dropped as far as I can tell yet.

[T.K.]

Yeah, I got. Probably got to record the bounces in the.

[Jay Skeets]

Did you see that? They raised the corgi's collar to the rafters, AKA the banister. Top of the banister. Pretty funny. I mean, spurs fans are going nuts because that's pretty good. In seven picked every game right there was. The video is like, you know, I think it's a Duncan jersey and Then another Spurs jersey and now they've raised the collar on the corgi. So. But I don't know who the corgi's picking here.

[Tasmo]

And the caller on the NBA raising

[T.K.]

the collar to the banister. That's good. The 4020 rule is up for grabs here. The Knicks did not win 40 games before 20 losses. The spurs did since 2000. Only the 04 Pistons, 06 Heat and 21 Bucks won the title without winning 40 games of 4:20. So that's interesting.

[Jay Skeets]

So the Knicks must have been pretty damn close.

[T.K.]

They actually weren't that close. I think they maybe had like 25 losses by the time they got four. It's something. It's a higher number than you would expect. Yeah, they took off in the second half of the season and then they had that weird time when they were struggling right after winning the cup. Rest versus rust sure is big here. I mean when one team sweeps and one team goes to game seven, you forget about the team that swept. Like I don't remember what OG Anunoby looks like. You know, Carl Anthony Town says you have a goatee or a full beard. I don't know. And then the spurs, like, will they have a hangover? They just beat the defending champs.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, yeah.

[T.K.]

64 wins, two time MVP WEMBY versus Chet. Like these are all things that the spurs have to gear themselves up for.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, I think they.

[T.K.]

And now they got to go win the NBA finals.

[Jay Skeets]

And they celebrated accordingly, like they did. An incredible, incredible achievement. I thought they celebrated like, yeah, that was tough. And oh my God, we've done it. You got a whole other series.

[Tasmo]

Is that too much? Is that too much? And I do give the Knicks being off for so long I think is important. They went into the Cav series after sweeping the second round against Sixers. I was a bit of a dud in game one. They were down 22 points and Brunson saved the day against James Harden and Dean Wade. That I think is important. It is important in game one. We haven't even talked about that. They're playing in San Antonio, basically. Home court coast of San Antonio. Very, very different. So those are all factors. My other random factors.

[Jay Skeets]

Does home court even matter anymore? Well, I start to feel like it does it so weird.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, I know the game sevens have definitely changed, but I think the start of series is a little. It's different.

[Jay Skeets]

Okay.

[Tasmo]

That's more important. Yeah. Throw some random stories here. Will Mitchell Robinson shoot underhand free throws? It's unlikely, but he's got A broken pinky.

[Jay Skeets]

It would awesome.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh my God. Madison Square Garden. I think that would be the loudest it would ever get. I swear. If he shot an underhand free throw

[T.K.]

and hit it, it's got two with the line underhand.

[Jay Skeets]

They would go insane. They would go bonkers. Cuz they're always going nuts when he goes to the line. It's an adventure, right? They're trying to cheer him through it, but they're holding their breath and they're sort of groaning and moaning if he misses his third in a row because he's got a.

[Tasmo]

He's got a brace, you know, between. I guess that's holding his third finger and his pinky finger. Like those shots are going to be ugly. They're already kind of ugly, but.

[Jay Skeets]

No, but they can't be worse.

[Tasmo]

I think they could be worse.

[Jay Skeets]

I don't think so. I think it's going to work in his favor.

[T.K.]

He's.

[Tasmo]

Why? Because he's going to come off the. The middle finger more of the year. Rules, man, I can't wait to watch. I mean, he's not gonna. He's not gonna shoot it underhand. It's not gonna happen, but probably not with tbd. I am interested if the Knicks will invite Charles Oakley back. He's the guy amongst the. There's like 20 former fans or 20 former players, I should say, that James Dolan allows into the arena. Oakley ain't one of them, but if they're coming to hang a banner, Oakley's got to come back, right? Maybe. Either way, James Dolan just let him back. I'm not sure if Oakley wants to come back.

[Jay Skeets]

You know, I think it's more maybe big question now. I can't blame him either.

[Tasmo]

How many words were Victor Wembanyama's postgame interviews be? You know, is he going to keep it tight?

[Jay Skeets]

Is he going to keep it. Yeah. Short and sweet.

[Tasmo]

I don't know. Locked in because he's very different from five. He walks off six in game six, it was literally 14 or 16, depending if you count. Thank you.

[Jay Skeets]

Or not.

[Tasmo]

That's super quick. Two questions. I'm done. We. We both know we're done. And then in game seven, you know, you let it all out. So I wonder how it happens. How. What's going on there?

[Jay Skeets]

What about the other courtside celebrities in San Antonio? Are they gonna. The spurs and the organization, are they gonna allow Chalamet and Stiller and Spike Lee to sit front row? Or is that going to be against the rules? Like we saw Last night Cleveland did. Yeah. Cleveland. Yeah. I mean, I assume those guys will be there. I mean, they're going to be there.

[T.K.]

There's no way they won't be there. Yeah, they're going to be there. Yeah, they're going to be there.

[Jay Skeets]

So.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. It's unique though, because the spurs former players don't even sit courtside, like front row. Like they're all in their own little spots, unlike the Knicks former players. They're in the front row baseline most of the time.

[Jay Skeets]

Yep.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. Yeah.

[T.K.]

That seems like a good place for Knicks celebs in San Antonio. Put them on the baseline.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, it's not. That's fair.

[Jay Skeets]

Okay.

[Tasmo]

I think that's a nice balance.

[Jay Skeets]

All right. Should we get to favorite bets here?

[T.K.]

Sure.

[Jay Skeets]

When it comes to. To the NBA Finals, you can go anywhere. You can like, focus on game one. You can focus on the series player. Prop bets start with you favorite bet here that you got your eye on by way of FanDuel.

[Tasmo]

I just went with a guy to score 30 plus points in game one. Oh, okay. Because I am interested to see if Victor ends up having a big game like he did in game one versus okc. That was by far his best game. Scored 40 plus. You just have to score 30 here. Victor plus 126 odds. Done and done. I was just looking at that. I mean, that is by far the worst odds of anybody. Brunson is plus 230. Towns is plus 1400. Castle plus 1500. So is OG and Fox is plus.

[Jay Skeets]

It's WEMBY or Brunson. Of course. Yeah.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. For 30 plus. Towns. Unlikely. Towns is unlikely. But yeah, The Victor. Victor bet. Plus 30. It's a lot of points, but he's done it before.

[T.K.]

Yeah. Four out of his 17 postseason games. He's over 30 so far.

[Tasmo]

Okay.

[Jay Skeets]

Okay. What do you got, T.K.

[T.K.]

i think it's pretty funny. FanDuel has just a whole bunch of Wemby specials for this. A four by four. The less heralded cousin of the five by five. Four each and four of points, rebounds, assists, steals or blocks. That's a plus 310. He's done it twice in the playoffs so far. Five by four. Five each in those same five each of four of those same categories. That's a plus 1,000. He's done it once already. The five by five is out there. Plus 25,000.

[Jay Skeets]

Wow. Wow.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

I was like, that's a guarantee he's going to hit during the regular season. He hasn't yet, apparently.

[Jay Skeets]

It's tough to do? Yeah. Very, very tough.

[T.K.]

42 or more points during the series, plus 1300. Reasonable.

[Jay Skeets]

Reasonable.

[T.K.]

But my favorite, of course, is The WEMB beef. 20 or more rebounds, plus 1500 for game one. Hit that glass, buddy. You got a rebound against the Knicks.

[Jay Skeets]

Wow. The Knicks open the betting market, by the way, as +170. Let's call it underdogs on FanDuel. The only teams to win as greater underdogs in NBA history going into the Finals are the 2019 Toronto Raptors, the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers, and the 2004 Detroit Pistons. So dogs like the Knicks are here heading into the Finals. The west has been favored in 24 out of the last 27 NBA Finals, but the favorites are only 197 in the Finals during that span, with all seven underdog winners coming from the East. This is the ninth Finals matchup between a team that swept its previous series and an opponent that was forced to go seven. The team coming off the sweep went five and three in the previous Finals matchups. But let's look at Finals MVP here, because most people are going to pick either Wayman, Yama or Brunson. I mean, whether the spurs or Knicks win. But I went with a wild bet here for Finals mvp. And this is under the assumption that the Knicks would win this thing. I like OG Anunoby at +6000. This would be along the lines of like a Nigadala or even a Kawhi back in the day. Like, not crazy, crazy scoring numbers, but just enough. And then he would have to, in this narrative, play a big part in containing Wemby and shutting down Wemby for at least four games. You know, plus 6,000. Little sprinkle there. Yeah, why not? Very unlikely. That's why it's +6,000. But I can. I can wrap my head around the narrative of such. If the Knicks, of course, pull this off as the underdogs.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. Kawhi only 18 points per game when he won Finals MVP in 14.

[Jay Skeets]

Right, right.

[Tasmo]

Solo. Solo.

[Jay Skeets]

Okay.

[T.K.]

Solo.

[Jay Skeets]

We have talked a lot here about this series.

[Tasmo]

Yes.

[Jay Skeets]

We're obviously very excited for Wednesday night, game one. What's your prediction? Where are you going? How many games? And if you want to throw a Finals mvp, go nuts task, start with you.

[Tasmo]

I'm saying spurs in five. I know it's crazy.

[Jay Skeets]

Whoa.

[T.K.]

I know it's crazy.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. But I do think time off for the Knicks hurts. I do think home court advantage for the San Antonio spurs does play a factor. Coming right in. Am I buying what the spurs are because of Recency bias. Perhaps. But I'm also buying that the experience doesn't matter considering the Knicks. Also, many of their guys haven't been to a Finals. Basically all of them. No disrespect to you, Mikel Bridges, but I do think the spurs have it going in. They got the flow. They got the flow. I'm taking them. I'm taking them. Yeah.

[T.K.]

It actually is weird that the spurs have more championship experience than next, don't they? Barnes has a title. Cornet has a title.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, yeah.

[T.K.]

They're the experience team.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, very true.

[Jay Skeets]

This will be Cornet's third finals. He played in 22, 24 and now 26 Celtics. Yep, yep, yep.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, yeah. Two time champ if they win.

[Jay Skeets]

Yep. Okay. Spurs in five.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

All right.

[Tasmo]

It's a little off the board.

[Jay Skeets]

Where are you going?

[T.K.]

I like spurs and six Wemby raising the Larry o' Brien trophy and the Michael Jordan trophy in Madison Square Garden. Pretty iconic moment. I don't think this is the kind of guy that lets something like this pass him by.

[Jay Skeets]

No, I know.

[Tasmo]

No, no. Because the way that they celebrated even just beating okc, I mean, they are going to celebrate beating the Knicks.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, man, I. Look, this is fun. I actually think it's going to be a very competitive series. You know, spurs of five makes it sort of lean towards. The spurs are going to sort of dominate. But these could be close games, I guess too. Yeah. Do you go with the generational talent in Wemby or do you go with the team. Not a team of destiny by any means in the Knicks, but a team that is like convinced themselves they're worthy of winning and have like gone through some growing pains in postseasons prior to and are just playing their best basketball we've ever seen them play. And like Mike Brown has them again believing, I believe that they can do this. And I, I think it's in their favor. They come into this finals as underdogs. I actually think that's so much better for your Brunsons and your hearts. Like the Villanova guys, I guess, and even Cat. Like, I mean, it's so stupid. I guess why I'm getting out here to bet against Wemby. You guys are taking the spurs, but I'll take the Knicks. And I'll go Knicks in seven. As we've seen these game sevens, you're like, take the home team. I mean, a lot now it's like hasn't been the case. It's almost like become even in a, in a coin flip game seven.

[T.K.]

I think last 21. It's nine and 12 for the home team in game seven.

[Jay Skeets]

Wow.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

So if the Knicks win this, it's a long series. This is not a Nixon 4, Nixon 5 type of thing. But I'll go Nixon 7 and say that they at least prevent Wemby like it happened to LeBron. As we started this conversation. TK and Shaq even is a good example going to the final super young but said, hey, slow down, slow down, superstar. Not yet. So I'll go Knicks just to keep things a little different here. Nixon seven, spurs and six. Spurs and five. Let's hear from you. We got the poll up right now. We've had a ball show. I mean, what are the people saying?

[T.K.]

68% are choosing Spurs.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Yep. Yeah. Look, we're gonna find out just how elite the Knicks were. Or was it again the. Some of the teams that they were playing here and, and in comparison to obviously what the spurs have played like and sort of went through, you know, look, they. They had some, they had some things fall their way to the spurs, you know, and the Blazers in the first round. That was easy. I'm sorry. And then they had obviously some injuries to the Wolves. And they had some injuries, of course to the Thunder. They had their injuries of their own. It's the playoffs. But they got Wemby.

[T.K.]

Have the Knicks played a team as good as the Timberwolves?

[Jay Skeets]

No. No. Cuz I was not a big Cavs fan as it was. So.

[Tasmo]

I mean, they beat the 4, 6 and 7 in the Eastern Conference. The 4. The Cavs the best team as. Are they as good as the Wolves? Really? That's what I'm. The way I think about it, I say no, no.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah. But my least. Yeah, I know. This is where I keep going back and forth. It's like, okay, yeah, they beat like you could only beat who play who's in front of you. So they did that. And not only did they beat them, they fucking wiped the floor with them. They destroyed even close. These weren't like, oh, they're eking them out the one game. Yeah, they came back. Otherwise they just dominated these teams. After unlocking their offense with cat after down 21 against the Hawks.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Who won their games on last second shots too, so.

[Tasmo]

Right. Yeah. This could be a long series. The spurs don't do what the Cavs do and have a 22 point lead and let that go. Probably. That does not happen.

[Jay Skeets]

No way.

[T.K.]

Not.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Look, this is just like. Is it, is it, is it Wemby time to Start right now or is it like a year down the line? I mean, the Knicks, if they're going to do this and snap this 50 plus championship streak, it better happen this year. Maybe that's why I'm believing they can do it. All right, real quick clarification. Yeah. The Danhausen curse is done.

[Tasmo]

Oh, because he cursed the Cabs specifically.

[Jay Skeets]

Could he. Could he not come out and curse the Spurs?

[Tasmo]

He absolutely could. But the curse that you guys are referring to is done.

[Jay Skeets]

Well, okay, push back on that. Though he did lift the Knicks curse further back in the playoffs because the Knicks were actually cursed once upon a time under Danhausen. And then he lifted it and I don't think they've lost since. So there is that part. But it's a great point. Yeah, great point, J.D. great point. J.D. you're locked in, eh?

[Tasmo]

I am so locked in. Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Who do you like here, by the way? You guys have Wemby winning a finals mv, I assume I'm going Jalen Brunson.

[Tasmo]

Oh, yeah.

[T.K.]

You know what?

[Tasmo]

I'll say Swerve even further. Nick's in six. It's fun to say.

[Jay Skeets]

It is a fun thing to say. Yeah. Nick. Six and six. Wow. In Madison Square Garden.

[T.K.]

Madison Square Garden.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, my God. I'm fearful of the city if that happens. What happens out on the streets? Oh, the bing bongus of all bing bongs. If that to go down. Okay, that's our NBA Finals preview. Let's hopefully just we get a classic. That's all we want.

[T.K.]

That's right.

[Jay Skeets]

Let's take a quick break and then we'll get into some other NBA news. Vibe coding is everywhere right now, but it's not just for apps anymore. Now it's making its way into website creation. WIX has introduced WIX Harmony, a vibe coder for websites that lets you type what you want and generate a site ready to use right away, complete with forms, payments, security and more built in. And WIX Harmony doesn't require AI for everything. You can still click and edit anything manually or select an element and have Aria, your AI agent, make updates for you. It's a smart solution to the frustration of repeatedly prompting AI just to make a small change. Try it for [e-mail] that's wix.com.

[T.K.]

hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway for you. Save days are here now through June 23rd. Find hot deals throughout the store and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible items from Keebler, General Mills, Lactaid Jack links, Cheez it and Gatorade. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards. To save even more, enjoy savings on top of savings. When you shop in store or online for easy pickup or delivery, restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions. This show right here, it's brought to you by FanDuel.

[Tasmo]

Right now.

[T.K.]

New customers can bet $5 and get 150 back in bonus bets if your first bet wins. That's right. Turn 5 bucks into 150 in bonus bets just for getting started. From player props on your favorite stars to all the tools you need to back them up, FanDuel puts player research right at your fingertips. So you can check stats, trends and matchups all in one place and make your picks with confidence. Nothing.

[Jay Skeets]

Nothing for you.

[T.K.]

There's. There's no games on tonight. There's no NHL games on tonight.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, when do they tip?

[T.K.]

Actually, once the puck drops. That's tomorrow.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, tomorrow.

[T.K.]

Yeah. And I think the Hurricanes are favored.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, you said that the other day. I think they are the defensive team.

[T.K.]

The defensive team.

[Tasmo]

Gosh, yuck.

[T.K.]

They've maybe only lost once in the playoffs so far or something like that.

[Jay Skeets]

To the Habs.

[Tasmo]

They lost to the Habs. 4:1. Yeah, that might be true.

[T.K.]

Let me see.

[Jay Skeets]

Let me check once.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

Minus 154 for the canes, plus 128 for the knights.

[Jay Skeets]

Don't quote me on that, but I

[T.K.]

heard it at church yesterday.

[Jay Skeets]

They're talking about it at church. You're in Atlanta church. They're talking about the NHL final.

[T.K.]

Yes. I was talking to a kid yesterday. A kid man, of course. About Gavin McKenna, the first. The future number one pick for the tribal maybe.

[Tasmo]

Nice.

[T.K.]

He's the cousin of Connor Bedard, who was the number one pick for the Black couple of seasons ago.

[Tasmo]

I have that card. If anybody wants it, I'll sell it to you.

[T.K.]

You got a Bedard card?

[Tasmo]

I got a Bedard card. I won it in an NCAA bracket.

[Jay Skeets]

That's right.

[Tasmo]

With the Athletic. Took that home.

[Jay Skeets]

Very cool.

[Tasmo]

If anybody wants it, let me know.

[Jay Skeets]

I'm good.

[Tasmo]

But listen, listen. You didn't have a stat. That's okay. That just shows how many incredible ad reads we do for FanDuel where there's something in every single one. It's not a read. It's basically not a read. You know, I hate that word. I'm gonna take that word. I'm gonna take that word of my vocab. It's not an ad read.

[T.K.]

It's true. They lost one game in the playoffs.

[Tasmo]

Wow. That's incredible.

[T.K.]

That's pretty amazing. But I did have one other thing. I was. I didn't know if you'd be interested in tasks. Ohtani's a plus 350 to hit a dinger tonight against the Diamondbacks.

[Tasmo]

Plus 350. Yeah, he's doing.

[T.K.]

Yeah, just one ding dong.

[Tasmo]

When's the last time you hit one?

[T.K.]

Like three or four games ago.

[Tasmo]

Oh, that great game that we talked about where he didn't allow a hit over six innings pitched, but let off the game with a ding dong on the other end. Wow, what a guy.

[T.K.]

He's due to ding a dong, I think, is what we're all saying here.

[Tasmo]

Plus 350. That's good odds. Really good odds.

[T.K.]

You think Odin will get some money down on that? No, sorry, that was just his translator. My bad. Yeah, it's everything you need all in one app, so don't miss your shot. Head to the FanDuel sports book app to get started. FanDuel play or game?

[Jay Skeets]

Play your game.

[Tasmo]

Waiting for the music to end. To talk about this at church, did they mention the sad, sad, sad story of Claude Lemieu, former NHL player taking his own life o serious.

[T.K.]

I did see that. He passed away. I didn't know.

[Tasmo]

I didn't even know that at 60 years old, Claud, he went. He was at the Eastern Conference finals, Game three in Montreal, walking in, as they generally do, with a torch. It's a. It's a tradition of the Montreal Canadiens, have their former players come in, walking in with a torch, and then days later, took his own life in Florida. Yeah, Very sad stuff.

[Jay Skeets]

Well, what happened? I guess he was going. I mean, yeah, it literally. The headline says, claude Lemieux died of a broken heart for two deeply painful reasons.

[Tasmo]

In your Post article there. Yes. Yes.

[Jay Skeets]

I did not hear.

[Tasmo]

Incredible career. Incredible career. Incredible guy. Did a lot of things. He bit Jim Paplinski's finger once upon a time. He hit Chris Draper, if you remember, in the back, breaking that jaw. It was beloved. Even though, you know, he was. He got into it on the ice a lot, but he was. Yeah, he was. Didn't make the hall of Fame. That's one of the points in the New York Post article that. That was something that always bothered him. He was ninth in playoff goals. He was a really good player. Cloud to me.

[Jay Skeets]

Back to NBA news here. The NBA rarely produces a playoff series like we saw there in the 2026 Western Conference finals. And thanks to the unforgettable opener and closer of that series. It generally lived up to the hype. I think overall, Game one was one of the greatest playoff games we've seen in recent memory. And series did go seven. So I wanted to unpack it just a little bit more. I mean, we obviously did our game seven reaction pod on late Saturday night. We had a blast with the watch party. Thanks, everybody that checked that out on YouTube. But my question for you guys was, besides Wemby and Chet, okay, because that's your biggest winner and your biggest loser of the Western Conference finals. Who were any other big winners or losers to you from the Western Conference finals? Where would you go?

[Tasmo]

Well, Trey called this was it immediately after game seven that Lou Dort could be playing his last game as a member of okc. That one's hard not to go with to start as a loser. Oh, yeah, yeah. He, you know, finished with four points per game in that series, 20% from three. It's a team option for next season. The Thunder and Sam Presti, great little buttons that they can push with a lot of these different contracts. Lots of team options. Hartenstein also a team option, but the Dort one stands out considering Case and Wallace and his fourth quarter of Game seven. But also what he was talking about in his postseason interview. It was a lot of, you know, quote, I'm not money driven. I want to compete. I love okc. But he could get an extension. He also needs to play more. It sure feels like to his ability. So that whole relationship is. It's an interesting one there.

[Jay Skeets]

Had a rough series, too.

[T.K.]

Yeah. I think you. Yeah, 5 for 25 from 3 for Dort. And, like, we didn't even talk about his defense. And that's what he brings. Like, he was just. He was just out there.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

And he was a big part of the reason the Thunder started every game in a hole is what it felt like. Because for whatever reason, it felt like he took every shot in every first quarter.

[Jay Skeets]

It was him. Or crazy. Yeah. Floaters or Dort threes. Yeah.

[T.K.]

Too much Dortmund.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

But, yeah, Case and Wallace, it's interesting. He struggled against Phoenix, these lights out against the Lakers, and then against San Antonio as well. He averaged two steals and two threes per game against the spurs in the Western Conference finals. I think Dort will be gone, and I think Wallace will be starting for them next year.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, definitely way shorter than Lou Dort. He's only 6 3, but the guy does it every. Every quarter defensively. And we talked about while we were Doing the live podcast right after how he hit four threes in the fourth quarter. Even talk about his steel. Those numbers that you just said comes up big on that side. So other than going to watch Shot, I think he's. Is what he says he's doing in the postseason. He says all I do is watch shows. I'm watching Shot. That's all he does. I'm just. I just bin load shows. I don't know. I don't know. It's. I think it's. It's just called shot. That's the word he said. Oh, some Amazon series. I think. Unless I'm wrong. Either way, Shot, the guy is going to be a. A big time player for some team. It feels like a bigger role and that relationship is there. Aaron Wiggins is, is really interesting too. He. He didn't. Couldn't stay on the floor for them. He's got a very tradable contract. And when Jalen Williams big bump up his extension, his new contract starts next season. Where do they go? Do they go on a different route and trade a guy like Aaron Wiggins?

[Jay Skeets]

Because yeah, it's possible. Thunder are just far above the second apron for next season. So yeah, there's Hartenstein's contract, there's Dort, like you said. There's maybe getting off some of these guys, like maybe Wiggin, maybe even Isaiah Joe. You know, when in theory, if you have A.J. mitchell and J Dub more healthy next season, you know, are there minutes to go around and it's a luxury they have. We'll see.

[T.K.]

Those are the guys that they're going to have to cycle through to keep playing the big, to keep paying their big three guys. They have to just like churn bench dudes. So you're going to have championship heroes who end up on other teams. Warriors had to do similar stuff and the Thunder are even better positioned to do it.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. Cause they got guys like AJ Mitchell signed to, you know, one of the best contracts in the league and $2.85 million next year. So some guys are going to have to go. Hardenstein ain't going though.

[Jay Skeets]

I wouldn't think so.

[Tasmo]

I don't. I don't think so.

[T.K.]

I think they will probably renegotiate. Renegotiate.

[Tasmo]

Maybe a little lower.

[T.K.]

Don't give him his option and then give him a couple of more years for cheaper because he was important. And apparently you need a huge strong guy against Wemby chief, right?

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah. I mean, yeah. Chet doesn't seem to be the answer versus Lemby and Of course, that is a whole other can of worms. Like, would they do a drastic move? Like, everybody on the Internet has already traded, traded Chet holmgren to, like, 20 other teams. But I. Some. Yeah, I do not think Sam Preston Thunder will do that. I don't think they will, like, overreact to a Game 7 loss to Wemby. And spurs missing two of their key guys. Like, like a big winner. To me, honestly, it is Jalen Williams, like, in a weird way, like, we saw his importance to this team, like, when. With him out there. With him not out there, I mean, played a little bit, but he was basically dragging his leg around when he got back. So he's huge. He was instrumental to their championship in 2025 and obviously their success moving forward. So he's a weird winner going to the spurs, though, if Wemby's the biggest winner. Darren Fox is a winner. He missed the first two games with the high ankle sprain, and everyone was ready to trade him, though. It's all right. We got Dylan Harper. He makes a lot of money here soon. But he returned for game three. He struggled. So then that got even louder, this idea. He shot a combined 5 of 24 in games 5 and 6, but he stepped up in game 7. Darren Fox had a really solid game 7 also. Him coming back just reduced the Castle turnovers and the heavy load that he was asked to do as sort of the main point guard. So, yeah, Dylan Harper's ascension, it seemed to make Fox, like, sort of obsolete. But right now, to win a title this year, I think we barely talked about Fox in our NBA Finals preview there. He could have big games. He is important. So I thought he was a minor winner. Just his success at the end of that series. Obviously hampered with the injury. Then he had no touch. But he found it at the right time in Game 7, so I had him as a minor. A mini winner there.

[T.K.]

Yep, Harper's a winner as well. Game six and seven. 15 points per game, three and a half assists, six and a half rebounds per game. Shot 65 from the field, 67 from three. Three total turnovers and two must win games. He turned 20 in March. March. Barely even 20 years old. Great personality. Like, he looks completely unfazed by whatever's happening in these biggest games of his life. He's having fun. He's smiling. He's like, the team will be losing. He's still cheesing with the bench and stuff. Super impressive from that guy. And I would say Jalen Williams. J A Y L I N Yeah's a winner too.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

He was maybe the most playable big for the Thunder by the end of that series.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. They could rely on him. Along with. With Hartenstein. Yeah, for sure. Big winner.

[T.K.]

Salesian sisters.

[Jay Skeets]

Huge winners.

[T.K.]

Never knew who they were. Never knew who these big breasted women were.

[Jay Skeets]

Not the sisters.

[T.K.]

No, no, no, no, no, no.

[Jay Skeets]

But we've heard a lot about the

[T.K.]

women in San Antonio from Charles Barkley and they've really improved their reputations this Western Conference finals.

[Jay Skeets]

They have indeed. Yes. And one of them is a ventriloquist, as we learned, too.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Will they be there at the finals? Yes. I know we're mixing them all together here.

[T.K.]

They're all part of the same crew. Yeah, they're not the same. They're not technically, but you know, they all cheer for the same team.

[Jay Skeets]

All right, let's hear some other winners and losers.

[T.K.]

What the Sisters are. I don't know about the others. Yeah, well, I haven't seen yet. Haven't seen them dribbling.

[Jay Skeets]

Did you see a die Hard? No. Dunks fan hit us up on social media to confirm and we ended up figuring out it was real. That that video of the nuns hooping wasn't AI it was actually them. And some great proof was the guy sent me like a Google map street image of the court. You can see the court and you can see the van, like at the church where they're hooping in the parking lot. I was like, yeah, there it is. That's the. That's the bucket they were playing on.

[Tasmo]

So.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, all but confirmed.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, that's good to know. That Salesian van, that's how they show up for their games. Pop out of there.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, that's right.

[Tasmo]

Yep.

[Jay Skeets]

All right, final piece of news here before we wrap this up. This news dropped on Friday, but the Orlando Magic are working to complete a contract to hire Sean Sweeney as their next head coach. This is all but a given here. Sweeney, of course, is currently a Spurs assistant who helped lead them to the NBA's third ranked defense. Sweeney is going to remain with the spurs here through the finals. Would have been funny if he's like, ah, I got to get to work. He just heads out before the finals. But yeah. Any thoughts here on Sweeney as the hire in Orlando?

[T.K.]

Seems to me like the Magic really like defense.

[Jay Skeets]

They do.

[T.K.]

And because, you know, Sean Sweeney gets credited a lot with the spurs defense, I will say it's pretty easy to have a good defense with Victor Wembanyama on your team. But when he was with the Mavericks, he was Credited with doing the offense and the defense. And the Mavericks had a good defense back then as well. But on the other side, I'd be like, pretty easy have a good offense when you got Luka Doncic running to pick and roll every single time. So I don't know what he's going to be bringing necessarily to the Magic. I assume they will get back to their defensive ways. I think that was a huge problem for Orlando this year. They went from second in the 2025 season and defensive efficiency to 11th this year while not taking a big enough step forward on the offensive end. So I would like to know, I want to see the Magic get back to their defensive ways. That's the key. But then, like, what is this guy's philosophy on offense? Because the Magic need to be better. They finished 19th in offensive rating and that was an awesome year for the Magic. It doesn't seem like they're going to be able to pull a bunch of personnel moves during the off season. So a lot of it will come down to Sweeney's X's and O's on that side of the ball and who they decide to hire as an offensive coordinator or whatever you want to call it. So tbd. But he seems to be one of the better young names. Not like a retread like a Donovan or a Tibs or something like that. A new guy bringing some new life to a team that kind of needs it.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, probably always a good sign when other teams also are interested in this guy. Your Bulls, I think, were one of the teams, maybe the Mavericks, maybe the Pelicans at one point. So.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

So in the end, the Magic get him.

[Tasmo]

Years ago, when the Pistons signed Monty Williams to head their coach, it was Sean Sweeney, who was rumored to be the guy there who had just come off the Mavericks going to the NBA Finals as their lead assistant, helping their defense around Luka Doncic to get there. So that was a big part of it. He's been in rumors for a long time, although he's super young, as you mentioned. That's a modern day NBA thing. You gotta go young.

[Jay Skeets]

What is he, 41.

[Tasmo]

41. And bringing a lot of guys we've heard before to Orlando. God. Sham. God. Who was Lucas guy coming along there? I think Jesse Murmurs is coming along too. Great glasses, Jesse for the Phoenix Suns.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, I was like, how do I know that name? That's who that is.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. With those bright orange or bright blue glasses.

[T.K.]

I guess they're.

[Jay Skeets]

He's already started building his.

[Tasmo]

Yeah. If I'm not mistaken. Yeah. If I'm not mistaken, I'm.

[Jay Skeets]

This guy's working two jobs right now.

[T.K.]

I guess so.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

Helping the spurs try and win a championship in the Finals.

[Tasmo]

Bringing a God, sham God that he had beside him alongside, you know, when they went to the NBA finals there in 24. So that was it. I. I don't know if you're mentioning this other piece of news, too. I have to. The 76ers hiring Mike Gansey. No, no. He's the president of basketball operations. See you, Daryl Morey. In comes Mike Gansey. At 43. He's been around the NBA for a long time. He was in the Cleveland front office for a long time. Bob Myers decided to hire him. Bring him in. We know his brother, Steve Gansey, if we want to get. If we want to get personal. He's the head coach of the College Park Skyhawks. Steve Gansey. This is Mike Gansey now, who's been around for a long time in front offices again. Another young front office guy, 43 years old, NCAA hero.

[T.K.]

Right? Him and Kevin Pitznoggle.

[Jay Skeets]

Nice.

[Tasmo]

Those words were going around the Internet.

[T.K.]

Remember this guy, Pittsnoggle?

[Tasmo]

Yeah, that was him.

[Jay Skeets]

My final thought on Sweeney in Orlando is it really is another great example of the NBA being a league of relationships, because Sweeney, he had a tenure in Milwaukee as an assistant coach, and he overlapped for three seasons with John Hammond, who was the general manager of Milwaukee, then went to Orlando. He's moved on from the GM role, but he's now like a senior advisor to the Magic president of basketball operations, Jeff Weltman. So, you know, they've had a relationship. He likes the guy. This guy's smart, knows what he's doing. And he's been credited with, like, not only, like, developmental work with young guys in the league, but sort of like superstars seem to really like this guy. Giannis, Luca, Kyrie, Blake. Griffin is on record. Had a lot of good things to say about how smart Sweeney is in film breakdowns. So, yeah, nice hire. I mean, it's always TBD with coaches. It's like, who knows? We'll see when he. When he obviously has the role, but seems like a nice hire here.

[Tasmo]

That's why the Yannis odds have improved for the Magic in terms of their next team.

[Jay Skeets]

I don't think that's happening. But do you know who the Orlando Magic's general manager is? I had completely forgotten that this guy was the actual GM of the Orlando Magic. He's a former Raptor.

[Tasmo]

Oh, Anthony Parker.

[Jay Skeets]

Anthony Parker.

[Tasmo]

Of course.

[Jay Skeets]

Really? I know.

[Tasmo]

Cool. Yeah, he got that job not super long ago. Two years ago.

[Jay Skeets]

There's something fascinating to me about some organizations. We always know the GM and some we sort of don't.

[Tasmo]

It's quiet.

[Jay Skeets]

And you seem to know more of like an advisor or like a president of basketball operations. I always find that so strange. But yeah, apparently it's AP there as the gm.

[Tasmo]

He's been there for a while.

[Jay Skeets]

Sean Sweeney's there. All right, let's call it there. New no dunks tomorrow. We might hit the beach. I think you should get your questions, your finals related questions in yes ToNoDunks InCmail.com you can leave them in the YouTube comments. You can hit us up on social media. Maybe we'll hit the beach. I got another idea. It could be a lot of fun. You guys wouldn't have to do a whole lot. So that probably sounds enticing to you, but I think it would be a blast of a podcast. So we'll either hit the beach, do other NBA news, maybe do this idea I have. We'll see. You got to tune in tomorrow, see what we decide and send in the

[T.K.]

questions regardless because we're going to have a lot of off days.

[Jay Skeets]

Send in the questions regardless. Yeah, great point.

[Tasmo]

We already have some good ones in, so there would be no problem going tomorrow with a beach step. But maybe we. We can have a. Should we have a live stream of you selling the idea of whatever you're pitching for tomorrow?

[Jay Skeets]

You know what? We could probably do both because I don't need to make it a whole show. My idea, do a little. My idea, do a little beach stepping. Add a little barbecue pizza on half likes that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. James Bore. Bath it up tomorrow. All right. This is fun, though. So TBD tomorrow, but we'll have a show. We'll be live at 10am Eastern on YouTube on Wednesday. Oh, my God. We're going to talk to Survivor 49 and Survivor 50 legend Rizzo. That's right. Rizzo's coming on no dunks to talk about the New York Knicks. He's a die hard Knicks fan. Yeah. From Yonkers. We're gonna talk about the NBA finals. We're gonna talk about basketball. He's a Hooper. And of course we're gonna talk about Survivor. We're actually gonna like two part this up. First part, probably all basketball talk. Second part, all Survivor talk.

[Tasmo]

Yep. Why can't we do the Rizzler and then Rizzo half and half.

[Jay Skeets]

We don't need the Rizzler.

[Tasmo]

JD Was so disappointed.

[Jay Skeets]

The man, the myth, the legend, R I, Z. He's not good enough. Oh, my God.

[Tasmo]

Yeah, that's right.

[Jay Skeets]

JD Is. Got to be excited for this one. I'm pumped. Yeah. The Riz God coming on.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

So this is gonna be a blast, man. We'll talk hoops, we'll talk Survivor.

[Tasmo]

That's when you guys are amped.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, my God.

[Tasmo]

Yeah.

[Jay Skeets]

So excited.

[T.K.]

He's the man that meant the luggage, bro.

[Jay Skeets]

Why can't you make fire, bro?

[T.K.]

I saw he's been making fire. He's getting ready for blood versus Water three Riz God versus Liz. God.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah.

[T.K.]

He's a guy.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, that's right. His significant other is named Liz.

[Tasmo]

Riz and Liz, she's on the show.

[Jay Skeets]

No. Maybe in the future. Maybe in the future. Blood versus water. You never know when they're bringing it back. Anyway, so excited. That's on Wednesday. And then obviously game one of the NBA finals on Wednesday night. And we're here on Thursday to recap that and the drop and all the good stuff. So hopefully you subscribe. Hit the like button. Subscribe and podcast listeners, five star ratings and reviews until tomorrow. Clipper Bros, you heard it here first. Have a great time. Turn up. Love you guys.

[T.K.]

Awesome.

[Tasmo]

Thanks for joining us. And remember, please join us for our half and half show tomorrow. Actually, I have my half and half cream. I have my coffee right here. Just kidding. I don't. I don't. I thought about. I don't really have a half and half cream that I drink in my coffee, but I was thinking about going to the fridge and grabbing it. I'm pretty sure it's in there.

[Jay Skeets]

We've been doing a lot of fridge work on. Check out the. The live stream for that. Or we shared a clip, I guess, too.

[Tasmo]

Skee's juggling cheese slices. It's great work, man.

[Jay Skeets]

Juggling cheese.

[T.K.]

Juggling cheese.

[Jay Skeets]

Sort of like an insult. This guy's been juggling cheese.

[Tasmo]

Juggling cheese slices. Has Christian ever juggled during Christian and Scooby?

[Jay Skeets]

I don't.

[Tasmo]

I don't know. Why am I going there? Why am I going to halftime shows? We haven't really ever seen. Seen a juggler in a halftime of an NBA game for, well, a while. I can't remember.

[Jay Skeets]

I can't remember. Right there.

[T.K.]

Could be like a juggling based act there. Must drop. Literally dropping the ball on that one.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, exactly.

[Tasmo]

It could be good.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah. I guess you don't consider what Red Panda does juggling. She's juggling it sort of from her foot to her head. But it's not the traditional juggling difference.

[T.K.]

Would you be excited it if you were watching NBA finals game two and they brought out a guy juggling three packages of Kraft singles?

[Jay Skeets]

I was just gonna say, could we convince an NBA franchise to have me as the halftime show? And all I do is juggle Kraft singles. Sliced cheese. Yeah, just cheese.

[Tasmo]

No question. Regular season game, we're not going finals here.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, regular season game. Yeah, yeah. But you, yeah, you promote it as tonight at halftime, we got the cheese juggler. Like, it sounds maybe better than it will be because you're like, wow, what does that mean? Like, you know, wheels of cheese. Is he gonna be eating the cheese?

[T.K.]

I mean, that's cool.

[Jay Skeets]

I mean, I can work on some stuff. You can work your way up.

[T.K.]

Like, start with the singles that work your way up to giant parmesan lines.

[Tasmo]

I like it in Milwaukee. I love cheese. You go grab cheese heads off people's heads in the crowd. Give me that big cheese head. I can juggle.

[Jay Skeets]

Oh, Jesus. The music restarted.

[Tasmo]

That's the cue.

[Jay Skeets]

All right, everybody, we'll see you tomorrow. Embrace your cheese people. Here's the truth. You could literally be adored by everyone and then come home and still get completely ignored by your own cat. It's classic cat behavior. But new Shiba premium puree is a

[Tasmo]

lickable treat that changes all that. They're protein rich, made with bone broth,

[Jay Skeets]

and have the smooth, creamy texture cats go crazy for.

[Tasmo]

Especially when it's hand fed.

[Jay Skeets]

Yeah, it's more than a treat. It's a fast pass to favorite human status.

[Tasmo]

So feed your cat Sheba and go

[Jay Skeets]

from totally ignored to truly adored in just 12 days guaranteed or your money back. Learn [e-mail] if you're alignment in charge

[Tasmo]

of keeping the lights on.

[Jay Skeets]

Grainger understands that you go to great

[Tasmo]

lengths and sometimes heights to ensure the power is always flowing. Which is why you can count on

[Jay Skeets]

Grainger for professional grade products and net day delivery. So you have everything you need to get the job done. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done. 250 years ago, America made a promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

[Tasmo]

Since 1903, Harley Davidson has been living

[Jay Skeets]

it out on the open road at the next exit ramp with old friends,

[Tasmo]

new ones, and the next generation of riders. Because the best part of any promise is keeping it. Harley Davidson motorcycles ride.

[Jay Skeets]

I'm no web designer, but Wick's harmony

[T.K.]

kind of makes me feel like one. It's an AI website builder where I

[Jay Skeets]

just describe what I want and it

[T.K.]

builds the entire site for me with

[Jay Skeets]

all the business tools I need.

[T.K.]

My favorite part?

[Jay Skeets]

I get an AI agent named Aria

[Tasmo]

who helps me think things through or get stuff done.

[Jay Skeets]

Wix has been pioneering website tech for 20 years, and they've done it again. Try it for [e-mail] Harmony that's wix.com Harmony. This is an iHeart podcast.

[Tasmo]

Guaranteed Human.